CHAIRMANSHIP: PDP Consensus Agreement Collapses As Lamido Opposes Turaki.

Sule Lamido.

Just weeks before its national convention, fresh divisions have surfaced within the Peoples Democratic Party as former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, opposed the endorsement of Tanimu Turaki (SAN) as the party’s consensus candidate for National Chairman.

The disagreement has plunged the opposition party into renewed tension and opened the door for a potential legal battle, even as Turaki’s supporters continue their campaign.

This development coincides with the suspension of the screening of aspirants for the party’s 2025 Elective National Convention, which was initially slated for Tuesday, due to what it described as unforeseen circumstances.

The decision, coming less than a month before the highly anticipated convention, has sparked concerns among party members and political observers about internal challenges and the possible effects on the opposition’s preparations.

In a statement released on Monday, the Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee and Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, announced the postponement, saying that a new date would be communicated later.

“The National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has put on hold the screening of aspirants for the 2025 Elective National Convention, earlier scheduled for Tuesday, October 28, 2025, due to unforeseen circumstances,” the statement read.

The committee expressed regret over the delay and appealed for understanding from aspirants and members while efforts continue to address the issues responsible for the postponement.

“A new date will be communicated once fixed. The NCOC regrets any inconvenience caused by the postponement. All aspirants and members of our party should note the foregoing and be guided accordingly,” it added.

Fintiri assured that the committee remains determined to ensure a transparent and credible process leading to the convention.

“The NCOC remains focused on delivering a credible, hitch-free 2025 Elective National Convention on Saturday, 15th to Sunday, 16th November, 2025, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital,” he stated.

The PDP’s 2025 Elective National Convention, to be held in Ibadan, is expected to attract top party figures, governors, and stakeholders nationwide as the opposition prepares to reorganise its leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.

On Monday, former Jigawa State Governor and PDP chieftain Lamido threatened to take legal action against the party if he was denied access to buy nomination forms for the national convention fixed for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja after failing to obtain the nomination form for National Chairman, Lamido disclosed that the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and National Organising Secretary, Umaru Bature, were not involved in the matter.

Anyanwu and Bature both stated that as party officials, they had not seen any nomination forms since preparations for the convention began.

Meanwhile, the North’s consensus candidate for PDP National Chairman and former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Turaki, formally submitted his nomination form, pledging to uphold fairness, discipline, and stability within the party if elected.

During its 102nd National Executive Committee meeting held on August 25 in Abuja, the PDP zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while assigning the National Chairmanship position to the North.

Following the decision, northern leaders met over the weekend and further micro-zoned the chairmanship position to the North-West.

Subsequently, northern PDP governors, led by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, and other leaders endorsed Turaki as the consensus candidate for National Chairman from the North.

However, some northern stakeholders loyal to Lamido and led by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, voiced dissatisfaction, alleging they were not consulted before the endorsement.

In another development, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is reportedly backing his ally and former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, for the same position.

Lamido, who arrived at the party secretariat with his supporters shortly after 11 am, said he was surprised to see most offices locked, with no officials available to attend to him.

Although the National Convention Organising Committee, chaired by Governor Fintiri, is currently operating from the PDP’s annexe office at Legacy House, Maitama, Lamido insisted that the forms should have been available at the party headquarters, as stated in its constitution.

He said, “Well, let me be very clear. You see, the PDP is a family of wonderful Nigerians who share a similar commitment to Nigeria and democracy. So, coming here is like coming home to the family. There’s nothing new about it.

“Secondly, because we are now going into a convention, and by the party constitution, the sale of forms is normally at the party headquarters, I came here to purchase my own form.

“Well, I went to the office of the National Organising Secretary, which is normally the office where the forms are sold, and the office was locked. I think it was officially locked, you know, because of his own position. So, I met him with the Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

“I said, ‘Look, I’m here to buy the form.’ Both of them said they had no idea where the forms were — not even how they were printed or the kind of forms they were. They had no idea where they were being sold. So, I found it a little bit weird that the custodian of the system, who is the National Organising Secretary, was also being locked out. So, they may not be able to go into the office.”

Lamido said he was unaware of any such announcement, describing the issue as a family matter with no controversy or division.

He explained that he went to Wadata Plaza as a matter of tradition, but since the process is now being handled by the Convention Committee led by Governor Fintiri, he might have to travel to Adamawa to obtain the form.

He added, “No, the closing date for the sale of forms has been extended. In any case, all decisions of the party must be made by the NEC. You know, any change of date or time must be approved by the NEC. But somehow, I think the entire function of the NEC has been taken over by individuals. Therefore, we’ll find out how it’s going to work out.

“I am an optimist. You know, it’s a family thing. We’ll never fight, no matter what, because we want to win the election. If we fight, we’ll lose. You know, our opponents are outside, the APC and their evil system. APC, not PDP. So, if you don’t have an organised house with a very, very organised force, how do you fight it out?

“That is why I am trying to buy the form. And if I don’t get the form, I will go to court simply. The PDP should be able to organise its own house, to run the party based on its policies, doing the right thing at all times. The only way we can win is by having a party that is disciplined. If the party is not organised, if we don’t follow our own constitution and procedures, how do we win elections?”

Lamido stated that his main goal is to see the PDP rebuilt into a stable and united party that remains focused on rescuing Nigeria and Nigerians from the APC.

He rejected the governors’ consensus arrangement, claiming it was made without proper consultation.

Lamido said, “If there are consultations, there can be consensus. But if there are no consultations, then we are not united on board. I mean, the zone which I come from has never met.

“We were supposed to meet on Wednesday, and I think the Governor of Zamfara booked the hall at the Hilton for us from the North West to meet, to be able to come out with that kind of understanding. But then, to pre-empt our meeting, they fixed a meeting for Tuesday. So, we never met. The zone never met. That’s the problem.”

Earlier, while receiving Lamido at the PDP National Secretariat, the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, denied knowledge of the nomination forms’ whereabouts and vowed to ensure that the alleged forgery of his signature was thoroughly investigated.

He said, “On the issue of forgery, I have established that it is under investigation, and so I don’t want to comment on that. I don’t want to go into that because the issue of forgery is not something that can be swept under the carpet. But I can tell you, I will get to the end of it.”

Speaking on the convention preparations, Anyanwu confirmed his intention to contest in the election but lamented that neither he nor other senior officials had seen the nomination forms.

“On the convention, I have the intention to run for the election, but we don’t know where the forms are. We have agreed on the zoning arrangement that the positions in the South should remain in the South and those in the North should remain in the North. So, there is no issue regarding micro-zoning that they are talking about.

“Usually, how it is done in a political party, when I wanted to contest as Secretary, I printed posters and went from state to state to canvass for votes. So, when you buy a form, you move to the states and canvass for delegates to vote for you. I have never seen this kind of arrangement before, where even the National Secretary of the party has not seen the colour of the form — whether it is white, red, or black.”

In his remarks, the National Organising Secretary, Bature, confirmed Anyanwu’s statement, saying he too had not seen the forms since the process began.

“I have not seen the forms since the process started, even as the Organising Secretary of the party,” Bature said. “I learned that Governor Fintiri’s committee is in charge.”

However, in a separate development, a PDP chieftain and Turaki’s ally, Umar Sani, presented to journalists an acknowledgement slip confirming the submission of Turaki’s nomination forms for National Chairman at the National Convention Organising Committee Headquarters, Legacy House, Abuja.

The revelation came just hours after Lamido claimed he was prevented from purchasing the forms.

Sani, a North-West party leader and prominent member of Turaki’s camp, dismissed claims that Turaki’s endorsement as the North’s consensus candidate lacked consultation, insisting that all stakeholders were fully involved.

He said, “Today, being the 27th of October, 2025 — the final day for the submission of nomination forms — Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has fulfilled all righteousness and has duly submitted the nomination forms and all other required documents. These forms have been duly acknowledged, a copy of which is here for you to see. So what we are awaiting now is for the party to invite Kabiru Tanimu Turaki for screening.

“First, let me say this: today is not a day for selling forms. Today is a day for the submission of forms. So if Sule Lamido went to Wadata Plaza looking for forms, he went to the wrong place, because the party has stipulated which day you are supposed to go and buy forms and which day you are supposed to submit them. So, we have just submitted ours.

“Also, there is a controversy between the decision of the governors and some stakeholders who endorsed Turaki as the consensus candidate and some other members from the same region who said they were never consulted and therefore do not agree with Turaki’s endorsement.

“Consultations have been done because there was a meeting. It was not something that was announced. A meeting was held with all the relevant stakeholders in all the states in the North, adequately represented. The Governor of Zamfara State was there, and the Governor of Adamawa State, Fintiri, was there. I’m sure most of you know the meeting, so I don’t have to spoon-feed you with the information. And in that meeting, even the Governor of Taraba, who was not there, was represented by a Senator. So they were all there, and the candidates were all there.”

Sani added that the former minister was not intimidated by any rival, noting that every aspirant with a nomination form had the right to contest.

He said, “Well, let me start by telling you that Kabiru Tanimu Turaki is not afraid of anybody. He has not changed from the PDP. He knows the internal workings of the PDP. So, for anybody to believe that he is afraid of anybody, he is not afraid of anybody.

“He has been in this party for a very long time. He has never aspired to become a House of Representatives member, a Senator, or a Governor — only that he once aspired to become President. And even during that presidential bid, when he was defeated at the primaries in Port Harcourt, he still served as the Director of Administration and Finance of the Presidential Campaign Council. So, he is very much aware that he has a responsibility.

“He has always been in the party and has always made meaningful contributions where needed — legally, financially, and otherwise. Now, if he is entrusted with the responsibility of leading the party, he will put the PDP on a sound footing because he is neutral.

“This is what the governors are talking about. He is neither with Wike nor the Governors’ Forum. Turaki SAN will be fair to all; he will stabilise the party and ensure discipline. He is an independent-minded person, and we believe he will bring his wealth of experience, gathered over the years as both a legal practitioner and a former Minister of Special Duties — a position that demands versatility and balance in handling diverse responsibilities.”