Former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), has formally entered the race for the National Chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as his nomination form was submitted to the party’s national secretariat annex in Abuja on Monday.
The form was submitted on his behalf by Umar Sani, former spokesman to ex–Vice President Namadi Sambo, who confirmed that the exercise was completed and duly acknowledged by the party’s officials.
“Today is the final day for submission of forms, and I can confirm that we have submitted Turaki’s form. It has been properly received and acknowledged. We now await the invitation from the party for his screening,” Sani told reporters.
Reacting to the controversy surrounding the inability of former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, to obtain the chairmanship form earlier in the day, Sani said the issue was outside Turaki’s concern.
“Today was set aside for submission of forms, not for sale. If the PDP secretariat cannot explain why Lamido couldn’t access the form, that’s not Turaki’s business,” he said.
Sani further clarified that Turaki’s camp obtained the form “in line with the Supreme Court judgment affirming the right of the PDP to run its internal affairs independently.”
He added that Turaki’s emergence as the consensus candidate of the North West zone followed extensive consultations among stakeholders, led by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, with all state chapters agreeing that the governors should harmonise their choice.
“All stakeholders agreed that the governors should decide on a candidate, and they unanimously chose Turaki,” Sani said.
The screening of aspirants for the PDP’s national offices ahead of the 2025 National Convention is expected to commence later this week.
The Guardian reported that former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, threatened to head to court for being denied the opportunity to obtain the form to contest the office of the national chairman at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Lamido, who arrived at the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the PDP in the morning, was shocked to discover that key party officials, including the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, and the National Secretary, Senator
Samuel Anyanwu claimed ignorance of the sale or availability of nomination forms for the forthcoming national convention.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the incident, Lamido described the development as “strange and embarrassing”, warning that he would seek legal redress if he remained unable to procure the form.
“I came to the secretariat to purchase my form as stipulated in the party’s constitution, but to my surprise, the office of the National Organising Secretary was locked,” Lamido lamented.
“Both the Organising Secretary and the National Secretary told me they had no idea where the forms were, not even how they were printed or who was selling them. This is very strange. If the forms are now being controlled by Governor Fintiri, then perhaps I have to go to Adamawa to buy mine?”
