Barely three weeks to its highly anticipated national convention, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been plunged into fresh turmoil as former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, openly rejected the endorsement of former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as the party’s consensus candidate for National Chairman.
The development, which comes at a critical moment for the main opposition party, has triggered renewed tension among top party leaders and deepened divisions in the North, where the position of National Chairman was zoned following the party’s August 2025 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
It also coincides with the abrupt suspension of the screening of aspirants for the 2025 Elective National Convention, which had been slated for Tuesday, October 28, in Abuja. The suspension, announced by the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) on Monday, has further fueled speculation of a looming power struggle within the PDP’s top ranks.
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In a statement signed by the Chairman of the NCOC and Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the party said the screening exercise was being postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances,” with a promise to announce a new date 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 in part.
The committee expressed regret over the delay and appealed for patience among aspirants and members as efforts continue to resolve the issues that prompted the suspension.
“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,” the statement added.
Governor Fintiri further assured that the committee remained committed to a transparent and credible process leading to the national convention.
“Let me assure our members across the country that the NCOC remains focused on delivering a credible, hitch-free 2025 Elective National Convention on Saturday, 15th to Sunday, 16thNovember,2025, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. We are determined to ensure a process that reflects the democratic ideals of our party and restores confidence in the PDP as a responsible opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
However, even before the postponement announcement, signs of discontent had already emerged at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, where former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido arrived on Monday morning to purchase his Expression of Interest and Nomination Form for the position of National Chairman.
Lamido, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Olusegun Obasanjo and was one of the founding members of the PDP in 1998, told journalists he was “shocked and disappointed” to find the offices of key party officials locked, with no staff available to sell the nomination forms.
“I came here this morning, as required by the constitution of our great party, to purchase the nomination form for the office of National Chairman. Ordinarily, these forms are sold by the office of the National Organising Secretary, but when I got there, the office was locked. It wasn’t just locked — it was officially locked, meaning it was not open for business,” Lamido said.
“I met the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, and both of them told me that they had no idea where the forms were. They did not even know whether the forms had been printed or who was authorised to distribute them. I found this very strange because these two offices are the custodians of such processes,” he added.
The visibly irritated former governor alleged that the process might have been deliberately hijacked to sideline certain aspirants.
“I found it weird that the same people who are supposed to manage this process are being shut out.I have beeninthis party since its formation, and Iknow the tradition.The sale of forms should happen at the national secretariat.But nowI am being told that Ihaveto go to Adamawa State tobuythe form.What kind of arrangement is that?” Lamido queried.
He warned that unless the situationwasrectified, he would have no choice but to seek legal redress.
“If I don’t get the form, I will go to court. It’s as simple as that. The PDP must be run by its constitution and not by the whims of individuals. We can only rebuild this party by being fair and transparent. Otherwise, how do we face the APC in 2027 if we cannot even conduct our own internal processes properly?” he stated firmly.
Lamido also rejected the purported endorsement of Turaki as the consensus candidate for the North, describing the move as “a political imposition that lacks legitimacy.”
“Consensus is built through consultation, not through conspiracy.If there are consultations, thentherecan beconsensus.But when a few people meet in a corner and make decisions on behalf of millions, that’s not consensus — that’s fraud,” Lamido declared.
He revealed that no meeting of North-West stakeholders had taken place before the decision to endorse Turaki was announced.
“Our zone — the North-West — never met. We were supposed to hold a meeting last Wednesday, and the Governor of Zamfara had already booked a hall at the Hilton for us.But suddenly, another meeting wasfixedfor Tuesday topre-emptours.So, we never met.Howthencananyone saytheNorth-West has agreed on a consensus candidate?It’s not true,” he said.
The former governor insisted that his ambition was driven by a desire to rebuild the PDP into a disciplined and united political family capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 polls.
“My ambition is not about me; it is about rebuilding the PDP — restoring discipline, order, and collective purpose. We cannot afford to lose focus. We must heal the wounds within our ranks if we truly want to rescue Nigeria from the APC,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), on Monday successfully submitted his Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms to the NCOC Secretariat at Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja.
Turaki, who hails from Kebbi State, was accompanied by political associates and members of his campaign team amid fanfare and chants from supporters who described his emergence as “a new dawn” for the PDP.
His ally and spokesperson, Umar Sani, told journalists that Turaki’s candidacy had been endorsed after due consultation among northern leaders and governors.
“Today, being the 27th of October, 2025 — the final day for submission of nomination forms — our leader and brother, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has fulfilled all righteousness. He has duly submitted his forms and all required documents.These were acknowledged by the NCOC, and a copy of the acknowledgement slip is here for everyone to see,” Sani said.
He dismissed Lamido’s complaints, saying the former governor had gone to the wrong venue.
“Today is for submission of forms, not for purchasing. The forms were sold and collected at Legacy House, not at Wadata Plaza. So, if Lamido went to the party headquarters looking for forms, he went to the wrong place,” Sani explained.
Sani described Turaki as “a neutral figure” who could unite warring factions within the PDP and restore internal discipline.
“Turaki is not aligned with any camp. He is neither with Wike nor with the Governors’ Forum. He is an independent-minded leader with a reputation for fairness and maturity. He understands the PDP inside out, having served the party loyally even after losing the presidential primaries in 2019. This is the kind of leader the PDP needs now,” Sani said.
In another twist, over 20 federal lawmakers elected on the platform of the PDP have threatened to defect from the party over allegations that the leadership plans to clear a nominee of an All Progressives Congress (APC) governor for the position of National Woman Leader.
In a joint statement issued in Abuja, the lawmakers, led by Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP–Imo), accused some top party officials of working to impose a candidate loyal to Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, whom they claimed had recently defected to the APC.
“It is shameful that PDP governors who should be angry with Governor Mbah for abandoning the party are now backing his nominee. The leadership has secretly issued her the nomination form, sidelining loyal PDP women from the South-East who have worked tirelessly for this party,” the lawmakers said.
They warned that they would leave the PDP if the said nomineewasnot disqualified before the screening exercise, nowpostponedby the NCOC.
“We vow to decamp from the PDP if this woman, nominated by an APC governor, is not disqualified. This is non-negotiable. The position should go to a true PDP member, preferably the current woman leader, Mrs.Ifeanyinwa, who has served diligently,” the statement read.
Political observers say the unfolding crisis exposes the fragility of the PDP’s internal structure and poses a serious threat to its ability to regroup ahead of the 2027 elections.
A senior political analyst, Dr.Kabiru Shinkafi, said that “what is happening in the PDP today mirrors the leadership struggles that led to the party’s defeat in 2015 and subsequent crises.”
“Unless the PDP resolves these internal contradictions quickly, the party risks going into 2027 weaker and more divided. The suspension of screening, Lamido’s protest, and the lawmakers’ threat to defect are not isolated incidents — they are symptoms of a deeper structural problem,” he said.
The PDP’s 2025 Elective National Convention, scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, is expected to draw top leaders, governors, and delegates from across the country. The convention will elect new national officers to steer the party’s affairs as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.
However, withthemounting internal tension and competing power blocs, party insiders fear that unless urgent reconciliation efforts are undertaken, the PDP might once again head into its convention divided — a scenario many say could have grave consequences for its future.
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gathered last night that discreet efforts are ongoing among party elders to calm frayed nerves and prevent the situation from escalating further.
“We are engaging all sides,” a senior NEC member said. “The party cannot afford another implosion. We must ensure the convention goes ahead as planned and produces a leadership acceptable to all.”