Northern leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have endorsed former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as their consensus candidate for the party’s National Chairmanship ahead of the November convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The announcement was made by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, who chaired the meeting of Northern PDP leaders in Abuja. He said the decision followed extensive consultations across the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory. Fintiri added that while Turaki was unanimously adopted, any aspirant dissatisfied with the decision remains free to contest at the convention.
Turaki, a senior advocate and seasoned legal expert, previously served as Minister of Special Duties and Supervising Minister of Labour under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The endorsement comes after the PDP’s National Executive Committee meeting in August, which zoned the 2027 presidential ticket to the South and the National Chairmanship to the North. Northern leaders later micro-zoned the position to the Northwest.
Fintiri assured that the process would be transparent and inclusive, saying the party remains united ahead of the Ibadan convention. However, internal tension persists within the PDP, with loyalists of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike reportedly displeased with the leadership of Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum.
Meanwhile, the party faces ongoing legal disputes over internal leadership and convention preparations, including a court case challenging the authority of the National Working Committee.
Among those at the Abuja meeting were Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), along with former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Governor Ahmed Makarfi, and other senior PDP figures.
