North-West PDP leaders reject Turaki as consensus chair candidate

Some north-west stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have rejected the endorsement of Kabiru Turaki as the consensus candidate for national chairman.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Umar Bature, PDP national organising secretary, said Turaki’s endorsement was not a unanimous decision by the zone.

Bature, who was flanked by other north-west leaders including Ibrahim Tsauri and Isah Ashiru, said the zone had not been consulted.

“A meeting was held yesterday with other leaders of the northern zones, and the name of an individual was reportedly adopted. The north-west has not met to agree on that position,” he said.

“We believe it is unfair for them to select a particular candidate without consulting this zone… Consensus is made by consultation. We have not been consulted.”

Bature added that his group was not invited to the meeting and that they would nominate their own candidate for the position.

The rejection followed a meeting on Wednesday night where northern PDP stakeholders, including governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, alongside former Senate President Bukola Saraki, adopted Turaki.

The PDP’s national convention to elect new leaders is scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan.

The national chairmanship was zoned to the north and micro-zoned to the north-west after the party zoned its presidential ticket to the south.