PDP Northern Stakeholders Endorse Turaki For National Chairman, Hits Wike, Others Over Party Crisis

A FORUM of northern stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have formally endorsed a former minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as the consensus candidate for the position of national chairman.
They also slammed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his political allies, accusing them of plotting to destroy the PDP and weaken opposition politics in Nigeria.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its 18th general meeting, where the chairmanship slot was zoned to the Northwest geopolitical zone to promote regional balance and party cohesion, the Forum reaffirmed its unwavering confidence in the leadership of the Acting National Chairman, Iliya Umar Damagum.
It condemned what it described as “desperate attempts” by some party members to derail the party’s forthcoming national convention, scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
National Secretary of the Forum, Abbas Sadauki, in a statement, said the decision to defend the unity of the party was both unanimous and resolute, adding: “No amount of political intimidation, blackmail or lies against the unity of the party will stop the successful organisation of the national convention in Ibadan.”
Sadauki accused some members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) of colluding with external political forces to destabilise the party from within, noting: “Those misleading groups within the party to scuttle the convention are mere jokers, predators unleashed against the collective interest.
“Their unholy alliance with enemies of progress will soon end in political shame and regret.”
The Forum accused Wike of being behing the lingering crisis within the party, driven by political influence and personal ambitions, saying: “It is unfortunate that some ungrateful elements are bent on destroying everything good about the PDP and other opposition movements.
“Whether through court cases or misuse of power, their mission is clear: to wreck the party. But they will fail.”
While expressing solidarity with the current leadership, the Forum commended Damagum and other loyal stakeholders for their steadfastness in steering the party toward unity and revival ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing their commitment as a patriotic sacrifice aimed at rebuilding and repositioning the PDP for future victory.
It cautioned the judiciary and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against political actors allegedly attempting to manipulate institutions to destabilise the democratic process.
The Forum also appealled to the judiciary not to be swayed by “desperate elements” who have become willing tools in undermining democracy, describing them as enemies of progress and burdens to the nation.
It stressed that the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to proceed with the national convention remains binding and must be respected by all party members.