Northern PDP Leaders Endorse Tanimu Turaki as Consensus National Chairman Candidate
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 National Chairman ahead of the party’s convention scheduled for November in Ibadan, Oyo State. The announcement was made by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who spoke on behalf of the Northern zone after a meeting of PDP leaders in Abuja on Wednesday. Fintiri confirmed Turaki as the consensus choice while stressing that any aspirant unhappy with the decision is free to contest. Turaki, a senior lawyer with expertise in constitutional law, election petitions, commercial arbitration, international criminal law, intellectual property, oil and gas, and mergers and acquisitions, previously served as Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs and Supervising Minister of Labour and Productivity under former President Goodluck Jonathan. The PDP had earlier zoned the 2027 presidential ticket to the South and the National Chairmanship to the North, with Northern leaders further micro-zoning the chairmanship to the Northwest. Turaki emerged as the unanimous choice following consultations with party leaders from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory. Fintiri, who also chairs the National Convention Organising Committee, said: “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.” He added that other positions will be resolved at the regional level and that anyone still wishing to contest remains free to do so. The endorsement comes amid rising tensions within the party, particularly from supporters of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who are reportedly dissatisfied with Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum’s leadership. Internal disputes over party structures, micro-zoning of key positions, and unresolved leadership issues in the South-South have also sparked court cases and legal battles, including claims of forgery related to the party’s convention notification to INEC. The Northern PDP meeting was attended by several key figures, including Governors Bala Mohammed, Caleb Mutfwang, and Dauda Lawal; former governors Ahmed Makarfi and Sule Lamido; Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum; former Senate President Bukola Saraki; former Minister of Information Professor Jerry Gana; and Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, among others.