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.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has come under criticism following its decision to alter the list of candidates that emerged from its National Assembly primaries, sparking fresh concerns over internal democracy and the credibility of its candidate selection process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Opposition parties condemned the move, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accusing the ruling party of descending into confusion, the Labour Party (LP) describing the substitutions as undemocratic, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) branding the action reckless.
The APC, however, defended the changes, insisting they reflected fairness and the wishes of party members. It also urged opposition parties to focus on resolving their own internal crises rather than commenting on its affairs.
The controversy followed the APC’s directive to its state chapters to submit the final list of candidates for the 2027 elections while issuing Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination forms for completion.
Several aspirants who were initially declared winners alleged that they were replaced after the party’s May Primary Election Appeal Commission reviewed petitions arising from the primaries.
Reports indicate that the APC National Working Committee (NWC), acting on the appeal committee’s recommendations, overturned the victories of several senatorial candidates in nine states and restored six serving senators to the party’s final list.
Those reinstated include Sunday Karimi (Kogi West), Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East), Titus Zam (Benue North-West), Shuaibu Isa Lau (Taraba North), Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central), and Olajide Ipinsagba (Ondo North). In Abia South, Prince Paul Ikonne replaced Edinburgh Erondu.
Among those affected was former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, whose earlier victory in the Benue North-East primary was nullified in favour of incumbent Senator Emmanuel Udende.
The revised list has since generated internal disagreements and raised legal questions, particularly in light of INEC’s warning that it would reject the names of candidates who did not emerge from primaries monitored by the commission.
Reacting to the development, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, described the changes as evidence of growing confusion within the APC, saying the opposition would take advantage of the situation ahead of the elections.
“With the change of the candidate list, there is confusion in the APC. Let them remain in confusion so that we can take advantage of it and reclaim power. It is not our duty to advise them on how to put their house in order,” he said.
The Labour Party also criticised the substitutions, insisting that candidates who emerge from valid primaries should not be replaced.
LP National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, said the party had consistently respected the outcome of its primaries, describing the APC’s action as a mockery of the Electoral Act and democratic principles.
“For us in the Labour Party, we have never removed the names of people who won our primaries and replaced them with those who did not. That is how democracy should be practised,” Asogwa said.
However, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, argued that political parties have the constitutional right to determine their candidates through internal mechanisms.
He noted that the Supreme Court had affirmed the authority of political parties to nominate candidates and stressed the need for aggrieved members to pursue available internal appeal and reconciliation processes.
Similarly, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) defended the APC’s action. Its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the Electoral Act empowers political parties to manage their candidate selection process, including addressing irregularities through internal mechanisms.
He maintained that if a party identifies flaws in its primary process and opts to make adjustments in line with its constitution, it is within its rights to do so, while denying allegations that the NDC had imposed candidates.
The Oyo State Government has denied reports claiming it paid ransom to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted by bandits in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the allegation as false and misleading.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said the claim was “far from the truth” and accused “irresponsible bloggers” of deliberately spreading misinformation to confuse the public.
“Although both the Oyo State and Federal Governments have been making concerted efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted children and their teachers, no ransom has been paid to the bandits, either directly or indirectly,” Oyelade stated.
He urged residents to disregard the reports and rely only on information released through official government channels.
The commissioner added that the Oyo State Government is working closely with security agencies to ensure the safe release of the abductees and bring the incident to a successful conclusion.
The pupils and teachers were abducted on May 15 when armed bandits attacked three schools in the Yawota and Ahoro-Esienle communities of Oriire Local Government Area. The coordinated attack also claimed the life of a teacher.
The victims have remained in captivity since the attack, while the Oyo State Government, the Federal Government, and security agencies continue efforts to secure their freedom.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has dismissed reports that aggrieved aspirants who lost the party’s primary elections are plotting to work against its candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Following the conclusion of the party’s primaries a few weeks ago, reports had alleged that some unsuccessful aspirants were considering supporting candidates of other political parties in protest, with the aim of undermining APGA’s chances at the polls.
However, APGA National Publicity Secretary, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, described the claims as false, insisting that the party remains united after a reconciliation meeting convened by Governor Charles Soludo.
“I am hearing this from you. As a party, we have not received any report of such a plot. Let me state clearly that all the aspirants have resolved to work for the success of the party in the 2027 general elections,” Opara said.
He explained that during the meeting held at the Light House in Awka, aspirants and candidates openly discussed issues arising from the primaries, stressing that none of the participants accused the party of conducting an unfair or non-transparent process.
“Everyone expressed their views about the primary elections. No one alleged that the process lacked transparency. The only concern expressed was that each aspirant had hoped to emerge victorious.
“At the end of the meeting, every misunderstanding, anxiety and misgiving surrounding the primaries was resolved, and the party remains one united family,” he added.
Opara also warned opposition parties against what he described as deliberate attempts to spread falsehoods and create disaffection within APGA.
He cautioned individuals engaging in cyberbullying and name-dropping for political purposes to desist, warning that the party would not hesitate to pursue legal action against anyone found defaming its members.
“This is nothing but cheap blackmail by the opposition. They should be mindful of the legal consequences of cyberbullying and name-dropping. We urge our party faithful and the general public to disregard these spurious reports,” he said.
This version improves grammar, flow, attribution, and readability while preserving the substance of the original report.
Former Minister Uche Nnaji
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a court order permitting it to detain former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, for an initial 14 days as investigations into alleged certificate forgery continue.
The remand order followed Nnaji’s arrest on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after he arrived from Enugu aboard a chartered flight.
According to an official of the anti-graft agency, the court-approved remand will enable investigators to interrogate the former minister over the allegations, with the possibility of seeking an extension should further investigation require additional time.
Nnaji was apprehended following the execution of a bench warrant earlier issued by the Federal High Court after he allegedly failed to honour several invitations extended by the commission.
The ICPC subsequently confirmed the arrest in an official statement signed by its spokesperson, John Odey, stating that the former minister is in the commission’s custody as investigations continue into allegations bordering on the forgery of academic credentials and a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate allegedly submitted during his ministerial screening process.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Despite the Federal High Court pronouncement against the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) in Anambra state, the National Working Committee( NWC) of the party has issued nomination forms to candidates of the National and state Assemblies of the party .
Recall that the Federal High Court Abuja had ruled that Sen Emma Anosike is not the Chairman of the party; a judgement that is unsettling party in the area which the plaintiffs denied knowledge of the suit insisting that it is a kangaroo pronouncement.
The affected state executive members, Bright Osemeka, Mrs Ify Chinwoko Nzekwe and Amaechi Chinweze had contended that they never filed any action challenging the leadership of Sen Emma Anosike adding that they remain loyal to the Anosike led executive.
According to the Deputy National Organizing Secretary of the party Mr Emeka Okafor ;
“The Federal High Court pronounent did not mention the nominated candidates of the party for the National and state Assembly elections and we have issued nomination forms to the candidates”
“Again the matter neither joined the nominated candidates nor had any legal position on the primary elections of the party in Anambra state hence the nominated candidates remain our candidates for Anambra state ” he said.
Recall that Sen Emma Anosike as at the period of the primary elections was the Chairman of the party an exercise that was adjudged peaceful and transparent by the National Working Committee of the party and the Election Committee sent to the state by the Leadership of the party in Abuja .
Similarly, the expelled members of the party did not take part in the election following the suit filed by them against the party in Anambra state.
They were suspended by the party because the party found out that they did not explore the laid down avenues of conflict or dispute resolutions before heading to the Court which the party stated that it is against the constitution of the party which also stipulates outright expulsion.
Meanwhile it is not clear if the said Chairman of the party who the Court endorsed has taken over the party Secretarate in Awka , nor has he convened any meeting of the party; a development that has deepened the unsettled state of affairs of the party .
It is however gathered that sustained legal battle is on in Abuja over the said judgement as the crisis lasts .
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