The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has a new leader: Tanimu Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former Minister of Special Duties under the Goodluck Jonathan administration. The decision, which saw Turaki emerge through consensus among party stakeholders, was announced late Wednesday night (10:45 pm) by Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri.
The decision was finalised following a marathon stakeholders’ meeting held at a private residence in Abuja’s Maitama district. Governor Fintiri explained that Turaki’s emergence was the result of extensive consultations among PDP leaders across all three Northern geopolitical zones (North West, North East, and North Central).
Turaki himself hails from Kebbi State in the North West. The high-profile gathering included the current PDP Chairman, Umar Damagum, Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and former Information Minister Prof Jerry Gana.
Prominent figures who attended the critical meeting included former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former governors Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano) and Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna), and Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, among other key stakeholders.
Adamawa Governor Fintiri, who chairs the PDP National Convention Planning and Organizing Committee, confirmed that Turaki’s selection will be ratified at the National Convention scheduled for November 15-16 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where the entire new National Working Committee (NWC) is also expected to be chosen by consensus.
Should Turaki’s nomination be ratified at the upcoming convention, he and the other new National Working Committee (NWC) members will only assume their roles once the tenure of the incumbent Damagum-led executive expires in December.
Meanwhile, Governor Fintiri clarified that the current consensus nomination of Turaki does not automatically preclude other interested individuals from formally contesting the chairmanship position at the Ibadan convention.
While Tanimu Turaki has emerged as the consensus candidate, the contest for the chairmanship may not be over. Former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi (who attended the consensus meeting) and former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido (who was notably absent) are also reported to be interested in the position.
Furthermore, the entire convention now faces a legal hurdle, as three aggrieved stakeholders—Imo PDP Chairman Austin Nwachukwu, Abia PDP Chairman Amah Nnanna, and South-South Secretary Turnah George—have filed a suit seeking to stop the exercise altogether.
The plaintiffs are challenging the party’s decision to hold the convention, arguing that the plans violate key provisions of both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022. The presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has reserved judgment and adjourned the case until October 31.
Before adjourning the case, the judge ordered all parties in the dispute to maintain the existing state of affairs (the status quo ante bellum) until the final ruling on the matter is delivered.
