The endorsement of former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as the consensus candidate for National Chairman of Nigeria’s opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sparked a fresh round of infighting among party heavyweights, deepening divisions ahead of the party’s national convention in November.
The decision, reached at a meeting of northern PDP leaders over the weekend, has been rejected by factions loyal to ex-Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Both camps are said to be mobilising opposition to the move before the convention scheduled for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The zoning of the chairmanship slot to the North followed the party’s August resolution to reserve its 2027 presidential ticket for the South. Northern stakeholders subsequently micro-zoned the position to the North-West, producing Turaki as the preferred choice over Lamido and former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi.
The meeting where Turaki’s name was unveiled was attended by leading party figures, including Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, PDP Governors’ Forum Chair and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, Plateau’s Caleb Mutfwang, Zamfara’s Dauda Lawal, and Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum. Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, ex-Minister of Information Jerry Gana, and Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro were also present.
At the close of deliberations, the Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee and Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, announced Turaki’s adoption as the consensus candidate, but clarified that the contest remained open to other aspirants.
However, within hours, the party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, denied that any formal endorsement had taken place, saying the North-West zone had yet to reach an agreement on a single candidate.
Party insiders say the uproar stems largely from Lamido’s own ambition for the chairmanship and Wike’s insistence that the post should instead go to the North-Central. A northern party leader told The Guardian: “The PDP’s northern blocs are not united. Lamido’s supporters feel sidelined, and the Wike group is backing Samuel Ortom from Benue. Both factions are unhappy with how Turaki was imposed.”
Another senior member criticised what he described as a lack of consultation by the northern governors. “Many stakeholders in the North-Central and North-West felt disrespected,” he said. “The governors acted unilaterally, and that has fuelled resentment. Still, we believe things will settle before the convention. The PDP will go to Ibadan with a united front.”
Meanwhile, in the South-West, consensus appears firmer. The zone has endorsed Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja as its choice for National Secretary, following a virtual meeting of stakeholders convened by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
“The decision was unanimous,” a party source said. “All South-West positions were discussed, and Arapaja’s nomination as National Secretary was agreed without dispute.”
Despite assurances from Governor Lawal of Zamfara that efforts were under way to “carry everyone along,” the latest wrangling underscores the PDP’s persistent internal fractures as it struggles to rebuild ahead of the 2027 elections — and to balance the ambitions of its northern power blocs against the assertive influence of southern governors like Wike.
