Politics
Chairmanship: Fresh Cracks In PDP As Consensus Deal Shatters
The disagreement has again thrown the opposition party into fresh tension and set the stage for a courtroom battle, even as Turaki’s camp pushes ahead with its campaign.
This comes as the party suspended the screening of aspirants for its 2025 Elective National Convention, earlier scheduled for Tuesday (today), citing unforeseen circumstances.
The decision — coming less than a month before the much-anticipated convention — has raised concerns within the party and among political observers about possible internal challenges and the implications for the opposition’s preparations.
In a statement on Monday, Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee and Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, announced the postponement, saying a new date would be communicated soon.
“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 among aspirants and members while efforts continue to address the issues that prompted 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 committed to ensuring 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 — billed to hold in Ibadan — is expected to draw top party leaders, governors, and stakeholders from across the country as the opposition party seeks to reorganise its national 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 not granted access to purchase nomination forms ahead of the forthcoming national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Lamido, while speaking with journalists in Abuja after his attempt to obtain the PDP National Chairman nomination form proved unsuccessful, disclosed that both the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Organising Secretary, Umaru Bature, were not involved in the matter.
In their brief remarks, Anyanwu and Bature disclosed that as party officials, they have not come across any nomination forms since the commencement of preparations for the upcoming convention.
However, North’s consensus candidate for the PDP National Chairman and former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Turaki, formally submitted his nomination form, pledging to entrench fairness, discipline, and stability within the party if elected at the forthcoming national convention.
During its 102nd National Executive Committee meeting held on August 25 in Abuja, the PDP agreed to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while allocating the position of National Chairman to the North.
Following this 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, along with other party leaders, endorsed Turaki as the consensus candidate for National Chairman from the North.
However, some northern stakeholders reportedly loyal to Lamido and led by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that they were not consulted before the endorsement.
In a separate development, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is reportedly supporting his ally and former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, for the same position.
Lamido, who arrived at the secretariat with his supporters shortly after 11 am, said he was surprised to find most offices locked, with no officials available to attend to him.
Although the National Convention Organising Committee, chaired by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, is currently operating from the PDP’s annexe office at Legacy House, Maitama, Lamido insisted that the forms should have been made available at the party headquarters as required by 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 matter as a family affair without controversy or division.
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 his primary goal is to see the PDP rebuilt into a stable and united family capable of staying focused on the larger mission of rescuing Nigeria and Nigerians from the APC.
The PDP chieftain rejected the governors’ consensus arrangement, stating that it was reached without any form of consultation.
Lamido stated, “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 former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido at the PDP National Secretariat, the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, denied knowledge of the whereabouts of the nomination forms and vowed to ensure that the alleged forgery of his signature was thoroughly investigated.
He stated, “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 preparations for the convention, Anyanwu confirmed his intention to contest for election but lamented that neither he nor other top 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 brief remarks, the National Organising Secretary, Bature, corroborated Anyanwu’s account, 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 ally of Turaki, Umar Sani, presented to journalists an acknowledgement slip confirming the submission of Turaki’s nomination forms for the position of National Chairman at the National Convention Organising Committee Headquarters, Legacy House, Abuja.
The development came just hours after Lamido claimed he was denied access to purchase the forms.
Sani, a North-West party leader and key member of Turaki’s camp, dismissed claims that Turaki’s emergence as the North’s consensus candidate lacked consultation, insisting that all stakeholders were duly carried along.
He stated, “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 stated that the former minister had no fear of any contender, stressing that other aspirants who obtained nomination forms were equally entitled to exercise their rights within the party.
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.”
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expelled 30 members of the party for instituting legal actions against the party.
The affected members include some aspirants for the National Assembly, and their expulsion may disqualify them from participating in the party’s primary elections.
Disclosing this shortly after the meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party, the State Publicity Secretary, Dr. Sir Valentine Iyiegbu, told reporters that the decision was in line with Section 21, Subsection 5 of the party’s constitution.
“The party discussed those who took the party to court, and many of them are contesting for the House of Representatives tickets of the party,” he said.
“The matter comes up tomorrow, and the SEC stated that what the party constitution stipulates would be followed, which is outright expulsion from the party under Article 21, Subsection 5.”
“The SEC actually ratified their expulsion because they did not exhaust all the internal avenues provided by the party to resolve their grievances,” he added.
Iyiegbu noted that the only reprieve available to the expelled members would be for them to withdraw their court cases.
“It is only when the matters are withdrawn from the court that the party can consider listening to them,” he said.
Speaking on the party’s primary elections, he explained:
“In the case of those contesting for the tickets of the Federal House of Representatives, all the eleven positions have aspirants, while for the Senate, the three positions are also being contested. The screening committees were here to perform their duties,” he noted.
The party also ratified the appointment of a five-man Primary Elections Committee headed by Sir Izuchukwu Okeke, the State Organising Secretary of the party.
By PETRUS OBI
Frontline aspirant for the Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River Federal Constituency seat, Anayo Onwuegbu, has successfully completed the screening exercise conducted by the All Progressives Congress House of Representatives screening panel in Abuja ahead of the party primaries scheduled for Friday, May 15, 2026.
Speaking after the exercise, Onwuegbu expressed satisfaction with the screening process, describing it as a reflection of the party’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and credible leadership selection ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The aspirant, who is seeking to represent Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River Federal Constituency under the platform of the APC, stated that he remains focused and prepared to continue to offer quality representation to the people of the constituency.
According to him, “The process once again highlights our party’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and the emergence of credible leadership as we prepare for the 2027 general elections.”
He reaffirmed his dedication to the development of the constituency, pledging to serve the people with commitment and purpose if elected.
The APC House of Representatives primaries are expected to hold nationwide on Friday as aspirants battle for the party’s tickets ahead of the 2027 elections.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ten communities that make up Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State are set for a showdown with their traditional rulers following the alleged suspension of the zoning arrangement for the Anambra State House of Assembly elections.
Recall that on April 7, 2022, the traditional rulers, in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), resolved that the House of Assembly seats for Anaocha I and Anaocha II constituencies would rotate among the ten communities, with each town occupying the seat for two terms.
The traditional rulers further resolved that the rotation would subsist irrespective of the political party through which lawmakers emerge, noting that the arrangement was aimed at ensuring that all ten communities have the opportunity to produce members of the State Assembly in the interest of equity and fairness.
However, the Anaocha Equity Forum, shortly after its meeting, expressed concern over the alleged suspension of the zoning arrangement.
Speaking, the Convener of the Anaocha Equity Forum, Mr. Valentine Okoye, said the forum would not take kindly to what it described as acts capable of destabilising the council area, adding that any such move would be resisted.
“This is a Memorandum of Understanding signed by our traditional rulers, and it has been respected until now. We in the Anaocha Equity Forum see this as a slap on the sensibilities of the ten communities that make up the area,” he said.
“We urge members of the public, political parties, and stakeholders to disregard the alleged position of the traditional rulers, as it does not represent the views and aspirations of our people.
“Our traditional rulers should be mindful of their roles as fathers of their respective communities. They should also understand that they would be held responsible for whatever backlash or consequences may arise from this recent position.
“We call on Governor Charles Soludo to call the traditional rulers to order so that the peace currently enjoyed in Anaocha Local Government Area will not be disrupted,” he stated.
The exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, two prominent opposition figures, has weakened the African Democratic Congress across both chambers of the National Assembly.
The National Democratic Congress, which received Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso on Sunday, recorded its biggest gains on Tuesday with the addition of 17 House members and a senator. Weeks earlier, its ranks expanded when Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to join the party.
The development comes a few days after several opposition parties resolved to present a single presidential candidate against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The wave of defection to the NDC occurred 48 hours after Obi and Kwankwaso, two of the ADC’s most prominent figures, formally exited the party. These moves have significantly altered the opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, setting the stage for shifting political alliances.
Additionally, the latest defectors, drawn from Kano, Anambra, Lagos, Edo, Rivers, and Kogi States, cited internal disarray within the ADC as a major factor that influenced their decision.
While reading their letters on the floor of the House, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary session, said the lawmakers blamed the party’s instability for their departure, noting that the crisis remained “unresolved starting from the ward to the national level.”
The defectors to the NDC are Yusuf Datti, Sani Adamu, Zakari Mukhtari, Kamilu Ado, Harris Okonkwo, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Peter Anekwe, Emeka Idu, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, and Afam Ogene. Others include Lagos lawmakers Thaddeus Attah, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, George Olwande, and Jese Onuakalusi, as well as Murphy Omroruyi from Edo and Umezuruike Manuchim from Rivers State.
In a separate move, Kogi lawmaker Leke Abejide defected from the ADC to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The coordinated nature of the defections is widely interpreted as a show of loyalty to Obi and Kwankwaso, whose switch to the NDC is already reshaping opposition dynamics.
Both men are influential political figures with strong regional bases—Obi in the South-East and Kwankwaso in the North-West—and their exit from the ADC appears to have triggered a ripple effect among lawmakers aligned with their political structures.
The ADC’s current troubles did not emerge overnight. In recent months, tensions within the party escalated over leadership struggles, strategy disagreements, and competing ambitions among top figures.
The situation worsened amid reports of irreconcilable differences between Obi, Kwankwaso, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was also a central figure in opposition coalition talks.
Efforts to build a united front ahead of 2027 reportedly broke down due to mistrust, zoning disagreements, and control of party structures.
Their eventual defection to the NDC marked a turning point. Seen as a more viable platform for consolidating opposition strength, the NDC quickly became a magnet for lawmakers and political actors seeking stability and clearer leadership direction.
With the departure of key figures and a steady decline in its legislative strength, the ADC now faces a daunting struggle to maintain political relevance.
The loss of national figures like Obi and Kwankwaso, combined with the defection of lawmakers across multiple states, appears to have weakened its structure and electoral prospects.
Only last week, the party boasted 24 members of the House of Representatives, but it is now left with six.
Once the dominant opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party may equally struggle to retain its status.
Though still officially the most formidable opposition in the House, the PDP currently has 29 members in the Green Chamber, down from 116 members in its ranks at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023.
Barely a year to the inauguration of the 11th National Assembly, the Senate on Tuesday moved to tighten its internal rules, effectively narrowing the path to its most powerful offices and edging out a class of incoming lawmakers, including serving governors and former senators eyeing leadership positions.
In a move widely seen as pre-emptive, the red chamber, after about three hours of a closed-door session, amended Orders 4 and 5 of its Standing Rules, restricting eligibility for both presiding and principal offices to ranking lawmakers with defined legislative experience.
The amendments come amid growing interest by outgoing governors and political heavyweights, many of whom are positioning to enter the Senate in 2027 to contest for top leadership roles such as Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
Under the Revised Order 4, the Senate reinforced a strict hierarchy for the emergence of presiding officers, stating that “Nomination of senators to serve as Presiding Officers shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators and shall be strictly adhered to.
“The order of ranking are (i) Former President of the Senate, (ii) Former Deputy President of the Senate, (iii) Former Principal Officers of the Senate, (iv) Senators who had served at least one term of four years, (v) Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives, (vi) In the absence of i to v, senators elected into the Senate for the first time,” it stated.
Beyond this ranking structure, the Senate introduced a more stringent provision in Order 5, effectively excluding first-time and non-consecutive lawmakers from contesting principal offices.
The amended rule states: “Any senator shall not be eligible to contest for any principal office of the Senate unless he has served as a senator for at least two consecutive terms immediately preceding nomination.”
The implication is far-reaching: senators-elect who were not members of both the 9th and 10th National Assembly would be ineligible to vie for key leadership roles in the 11th Assembly.
Presiding offices in the Senate include the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, while principal offices comprise Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Whip, Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip.
The rule changes come against the backdrop of an intensifying scramble for Senate seats ahead of the 2027 general elections, driven largely by governors completing their constitutionally allowed two terms.
No fewer than 10 state governors and several former governors are already angling to secure senatorial tickets, leveraging their influence over party structures to emerge as consensus candidates in their respective states.
At least 12 of the 36 state governors are in their second and final terms, with 10 set to complete their tenure by May 29, 2027.
The looming transition has triggered a wave of political realignments, with many seeking to maintain relevance and influence by moving to the National Assembly.
Eight of the affected governors are from the ruling All Progressives Congress, while Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party, and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed is aligned with the Allied Peoples Movement.
Those expected to exit office in 2027 include AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), alongside Makinde and Bala Mohammed.
Although Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma will complete their tenures in early 2028 due to off-cycle elections, both have been drawn into early permutations for Senate seats.
In Imo State, the political temperature has risen sharply following moves by the All Progressives Congress to position Uzodimma for the Imo West senatorial seat.
Party leaders in the state have already named him as the consensus candidate, even as the incumbent senator, Osita Izunaso, is reportedly seeking a return to the red chamber.
Last Saturday, APC leaders from the Orlu Zone (Imo West), led by the state chairman, Chief Austin Onyedebelu, purchased the 2027 senatorial nomination form for the governor, urging him to accept the ticket.
Onyedebelu, who presented the forms to Uzodimma’s Chief of Staff, Chief Nnamdi Anyaehie, called for pressure on the governor to “accept the plea of Orlu people by filling the forms so that it can be submitted before the deadline of 5th May, 2026.”
The state APC has also warned other aspirants against contesting the seat, insisting that Uzodimma remains the consensus choice.
Complicating the contest, former Governor Rochas Okorocha equally purchased nomination forms in a bid to return to the Senate, a move confirmed by one of his aides, Darlington Ibekwe.
The Orlu Political Consultative Assembly further reinforced Uzodimma’s candidacy, declaring him the sole candidate for the district in what it described as a “total, unanimous, and irrevocable decision.”
The unfolding contest is also shaped by internal power dynamics within the ruling party.
Last month, President Bola Tinubu reportedly rebuffed attempts by National Assembly leaders to secure automatic return tickets for lawmakers, instead reaffirming the authority of state governors over candidate selection.
The stance has strengthened governors’ grip on party structures, enabling many of them to influence senatorial nominations as they prepare for life after office.
Against this backdrop, the Senate’s rule amendments appear designed to preserve institutional hierarchy and prevent an influx of first-time lawmakers, many of them politically powerful, from immediately taking control of the chamber’s leadership.
For ambitious entrants like Uzodimma and others plotting a return or debut in the Senate, the message from the red chamber is clear: experience within its ranks, not political clout outside it, will determine who leads in the 11th National Assembly.
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