By Abiola Olawale
The battle for the soul of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a decisive turn as prominent northern leaders within the party have thrown their weight behind a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, for the position of National Chairman of the party.
The northern stakeholders include Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, and Umar Damagum, PDP national chairman, among others.
The northern PDP stakeholders endorsed Turaki at a meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday night.
Fintiri, who also doubles as the Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee announced this on behalf of the zone after a meeting of Northern PDP leaders in Abuja on Wednesday night.
He declared Turaki the consensus candidate, noting that any aspirant unsatisfied with the decision is free to contest.
Fintiri also explained that following extensive consultations with leaders from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Turaki emerged as the unanimous consensus candidate for the position of PDP National Chairman.
He disclosed: “We have met this evening to deliberate and take a decision on the office of the Chairman of our great party, the PDP, which was zoned to the North.
“In our meeting, we have reflected deeply and widely through consultations, and as we go to Ibadan for our national convention, we have adopted a consensus candidate to represent the North, and by extension, Nigeria, as the Chairman of the PDP.
“That gentleman is K.T. Turaki, SAN. This is our decision this evening, and he is the person we are presenting at that convention for that position.
“I do not want to preclude what others are speculating outside, but we are gentlemen, and as you can see, we are all leaders. We represent each of the states in the North, the 19 states, including Abuja, the FCT. This is our decision, and we expect this to be the lineup of our delegates in Ibadan.”
