Turaki Takes the Helm as PDP National Chairman After Tense Convention in Ibadan.
— Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has been elected the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in a contest that unfolded beneath a cloud of internal tension and strategic maneuvering. What began as a routine convention quickly became a gripping display of power, loyalty and simmering discontent within the ranks. Turaki secured an emphatic victory, polling over 1,500 votes to outdistance his closest rival by a wide margin. His emergence was not without groundwork. Northern leaders within the party had already settled on him as their consensus choice after days of closed-door negotiations, a move publicly endorsed by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who chaired the convention planning committee. His legal pedigree is substantial. As a Senior Advocate and constitutional lawyer, Turaki has built a reputation in electoral litigation and arbitration. He once served not only as Minister of Special Duties but also as Supervising Minister of Labour and Productivity during the Jonathan administration. His admirers frame him as a disciplined operator with the temperament to rescue a bruised party. The triumph was however shadowed by controversy. Delegates were still reeling from the dramatic expulsion of several heavyweight figures, including former governors Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose, alongside Senator Samuel Anyanwu. The decision, spearheaded by veteran party leader Olabode George, has already triggered backlash, with some PDP governors openly distancing themselves from the purge and warning that unity cannot be built on exclusion. A pro-reform bloc within the party, regrouping under the banner of advocates for peace and justice, has described Turaki’s rise as a fresh chance for internal healing. They insist the party is back on course to reclaim national power, though critics caution that the road ahead is stacked with unresolved grievances and legal threats. The PDP has entered a decisive phase. Turaki inherits a party that is fractured, fatigued and yet still formidable in its ambitions. His ability to reconcile warring factions while enforcing discipline may determine whether the PDP heads toward a renaissance or a deeper collapse as the 2027 election cycle begins to stir.
| 2025-11-16 11:03:13