Kabiru Tanimu Turaki faces PDP North-West backlash as Jigawa PDP rejects his endorsement as National Chairman, citing unfairness in party zoning

Kabiru Tanimu Turaki has come under fire from the Jigawa State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which has rejected his endorsement by the party’s northern caucus as the unopposed candidate for National Chairman.

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Speaking with journalists on Saturday, Hon. Babandi Ibrahim Gumel, the Jigawa State PDP Chairman, criticised the decision, describing it as unfair and contrary to the agreement reached by North-West stakeholders.

Gumel revealed that the northern PDP caucus, during its meeting on Monday, resolved to zone the position of National Chairman to the North-West and tasked stakeholders in the region with producing a consensus candidate.

“Based on this directive, we agreed to hold our meeting on Thursday night under the chairmanship of the Zamfara State governor.

To our dismay, on Wednesday, those who instructed us to nominate from the North-West went ahead and nominated a candidate of their choice,” he said.

According to Gumel, party stalwart Dr. Sule Lamido was not duly informed of the northern caucus meeting until an hour before it commenced, alleging a lack of transparency and coordination.

He added that none of the nominated individuals had formally obtained nomination forms, raising questions about the process’s credibility.

“Our leader, Dr. Sule Lamido, was suggested by party chieftains and national leaders as the most qualified candidate to revive the PDP from its slumber,” Gumel stated.

“We were denied the opportunity to carry out the assignment given to us, and we are now waiting to see if our resolution will be respected.”

The Jigawa PDP chairman maintained that the party’s priority should be to elect a capable and unifying leader who can steer the PDP out of its current crisis.

“We have been in this party for over 26 years, and we do not want anything that will destabilise it,” he said.

“We will continue to work to ensure that the right person leads the PDP for the unity and progress of both the party and the nation.”

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Turaki’s endorsement has reportedly caused disquiet among North-West PDP stakeholders, who insist that the region must be allowed to decide its preferred candidate through consensus rather than imposition.