Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the North have endorsed former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as their consensus candidate for the position of National Chairman.
This selection precedes the party’s national convention scheduled for November in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, announced the decision after a meeting of Northern PDP leaders in Abuja on Wednesday night.
Fintiri declared Turaki the consensus choice, but confirmed that “anybody who still feels they want to contest for any position is free,” and the endorsement does not preclude any aspirant from contesting.
Turaki is a distinguished legal expert with extensive experience across several specialized areas, including constitutional law, commercial arbitration, “cross-border and international criminal law,” and election petition litigation.
He previously served in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan as the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, and also as the Supervising Minister of Labour and Productivity.
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The endorsement follows the PDP’s August 25 resolution at its 102nd National Executive Committee meeting to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the South and the National Chairman position to the North.
Subsequently, Northern leaders further micro-zoned the chairmanship slot to the Northwest over the weekend.
Fintiri, who also chairs the National Convention Organising Committee, explained that following “extensive consultations” with leaders from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Turaki emerged as the unanimous choice.
Fintiri stated, “We have met this evening to deliberate and take a decision on the office of the Chairman of our great party, the PDP, which was zoned to the North.”
He continued, “In our meeting, we have reflected deeply and widely through consultations, and as we go to Ibadan for our national convention, we have adopted a consensus candidate to represent the North, and by extension, Nigeria, as the Chairman of the PDP. That gentleman is K.T. Turaki, SAN. This is our decision this evening, and he is the person we are presenting at that convention for that position.”
He added, “We represent each of the states in the North, the 19 states, including Abuja, the FCT. This is our decision, and we expect this to be the lineup of our delegates in Ibadan.”
Fintiri confirmed that while the North has “ten positions in the North as far as the convention is concerned,” all other positions will be resolved at the regional level, and that “Altogether, we have ten positions in the North as far as the convention is concerned. Nevertheless, anybody who still feels they want to contest for any position is free, and this is what our position allows.”
He reiterated, “We are not excluding anybody. But then, we have just announced to you our consensus candidate as far as these leaders are concerned. If anybody still feels he wants to contest, I have said it time without number that the door is open. Anybody who wants to contest for whatever position can do so.”
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