PDP Northern Leaders Endorse Kabiru Turaki as Consensus Chairmanship Candidate

Ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Elective Convention slated for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, northern stakeholders of the party have endorsed former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, as the consensus candidate for the party’s national chairmanship position.

The endorsement was the outcome of a closed-door meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday night at the residence of former Kaduna State governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Those present included key party leaders from the North — Governors Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), as well as former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Senator Abba Moro, and the PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum.

The meeting, which lasted several hours, was convened to harmonise positions ahead of the convention where new members of the National Working Committee (NWC) will be elected to steer the party into the 2027 general elections.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Governor Umaru Fintiri, who is also a key member of the PDP Governors’ Forum, confirmed the endorsement of Kabiru Turaki as the northern consensus candidate.

“Yes, we have reached a resolution. Northern stakeholders have agreed to adopt former Minister Kabiru Turaki as the consensus candidate for the national chairmanship position,” Fintiri said.

He, however, clarified that the decision was not binding on other aspirants who wish to test their popularity at the convention.

“This does not in any way stop anyone interested from contesting. What we are doing is to strengthen unity and reduce tension within the party as we prepare for Ibadan,” he added.

According to sources at the meeting, the decision to adopt a consensus candidate was aimed at minimising internal divisions and ensuring a peaceful and united front ahead of the 2027 polls.

A party insider said the leaders were determined to avoid a repeat of past rancorous contests that often polarised the PDP along regional lines.

“The North is taking a position to show leadership and stability. This is about building confidence in the PDP again,” the source told PUNCH.

The endorsement of Turaki, who served as Minister of Special Duties under former President Goodluck Jonathan, is seen as a strategic move to consolidate the PDP’s northern structure.

Turaki, a senior lawyer and long-time party loyalist, was among those who worked closely with northern leaders during previous reconciliation efforts aimed at rebuilding the PDP after its 2015 electoral defeat.

The development could reshape the race for the national chairmanship, which had earlier featured other northern heavyweights such as former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and Senator Ahmed Makarfi himself.

The PDP’s elective convention, to be held at the Adamasingba Stadium, Ibadan, will produce a new National Working Committee to pilot the affairs of the party over the next four years.