Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has faulted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors for endorsing Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, as the party’s consensus chairmanship candidate.
Lamido described the move as undemocratic and warned that he might head to court if denied access to contest.
Speaking at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja on Sunday, the former Foreign Affairs Minister accused the governors of breaching the party’s internal democratic process ahead of its National Conventionscheduled for November 15 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Lamido, one of the PDP’s founding fathers, said the governors’ decision to settle for Turaki without wide consultation undermines the values on which the party was built.
“They (governors) met me in PDP, for God’s sake. All of them met me in PDP.
Where were they in 1998 when the PDP was formed?” Lamido said emotionally.
“Where were they when we fought for the party all through the last 25 years? Don’t bring up issues that are very divisive. I don’t want to lose my composure.”
According to him, efforts to purchase a nomination form at the party headquarters were frustrated, as the office of the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, was locked.
“I came here to purchase my own form. I went to the office of the National Organising Secretary, which is where the forms are normally sold, but it was locked.
Both Bature and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, said they had no idea how many forms were printed or where they were being sold,” Lamido told journalists.
He added that he found it “strange” that key officials responsible for managing the nomination process were unaware of the forms’ whereabouts.
Lamido dismissed the so-called consensus arrangement as a “ruse,” insisting that there was no genuine consultation among party leaders.
“Consensus? If there are consultations, there can be consensus. But if there are no consultations, then we are not united on board. We never met as a zone before that announcement,” he argued.
Furthermore, Lamido criticised what he called the “hasty” handling of the convention process.
He stressed that PDP must restore internal order if it hopes to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
“The PDP should organise its house and run based on the party’s policies.
If the party is not disciplined, how do we win elections?” he asked.
“My main concern is getting the PDP properly restored into a stable, united family.”
Meanwhile, the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC), chaired by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, announced the postponement of the aspirants’ screening earlier scheduled for Monday.
Fintiri assured that a new date would be communicated soon, pledging a “credible and hitch-free convention.”
Responding to Lamido’s allegations, the Turaki Campaign Team insisted that the consensus decision followed proper consultation.
Team leader Alhaji Umar Sani dismissed Lamido’s claim that he went to the wrong venue to purchase his form.
“Today is for the submission of forms, not the sale of forms. If Sule Lamido went to Wadata House looking for forms, he went to the wrong place,” Sani explained.
“We bought our form through the proper channel, filled it, and submitted it. How we got the form is not his concern.”
He further argued that PDP governors have always influenced chairmanship choices since 1998, adding that Turaki’s selection followed precedent.
“All PDP chairmen have emerged with governors’ input from Solomon Lar to Iyorchia Ayu. The governors remain major stakeholders,” Sani said.
He described Turaki as “neutral and loyal,” saying the minister’s experience would help stabilise the party.
“He has never defected or turned his back on the PDP. He belongs to no faction and will bring balance to party leadership,” Sani added.
