Kabiru Turaki Elected PDP Chairman Amid Party Turmoil and High-Level Expulsions

In a decisive victory that positions him at the helm of Nigeria’s main opposition party, Kabiru Turaki has been elected as the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), securing his mandate with 1,516 votes at the party’s National Convention in Ibadan.

A New Leader for a Party at Crossroads

The former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs emerged victorious in an election that saw delegates from 17 states cast their ballots at the Lekan Salami Stadium. Senator Yakubu Danmarke placed a distant second with 275 votes, according to election supervisor Senator Ben Obi.

In his acceptance speech, Turaki acknowledged the significant challenges facing the PDP while promising transformative leadership. “Our party is at a crossroads now, but we are up to the task; we are up to the challenge,” Turaki declared before thousands of party faithful.

The new chairman made several key commitments in his inaugural address:

Returning Power to the People

Turaki emphasized that the PDP would be returned to “the Nigerian people,” signaling a departure from what he implied were past practices of impunity. “Today, as I talk to you, the only political party that has retained its name is the Peoples Democratic Party. This has been possible because this is the party of the Nigerian people,” he stated.

Immediate Action Plan

The chairman promised that his administration would quickly establish clear operational guidelines. “Very soon, we shall be rolling out what our guiding principles will be and the modus operandi for achieving them. When we do that, we shall be hitting the ground running from day one,” Turaki assured.

Controversial Expulsions Spark Internal Division

The convention, which ran from November 15 into the early hours of November 16 with over 3,000 delegates in attendance, was marked by significant internal conflict as the party voted to expel several high-profile members.

The expelled members include:

• Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
• Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti State
• Samuel Anyanwu, national secretary
• Several other party leaders

The expulsions, initiated through a motion by PDP chieftain Bode George and seconded by the Bauchi State chairman, cited “anti-party activities and fostering disunity with series of litigation against the interests of the party.”

Growing Dissent Among Governors

The expulsion decision has exposed deep fractures within the party’s leadership. Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang formally distanced himself from the move, stating through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, that the matter “was neither discussed by the PDP Governors’ Forum nor the National Executive Committee (NEC) before the motion was presented.”

Governor Mutfwang argued that expelling party leaders “at this crucial time was not a strategic step toward resolving the internal challenges currently confronting the PDP,” emphasizing the need for “unity, dialogue, and collective effort in rebuilding and repositioning the party.”

Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who served as Chairman of the PDP 2025 Elective National Convention, also rejected the expulsions. “I stand for the peace and stability of the PDP, and I will not support anything that could lead to its disintegration,” Fintiri stated, advocating for “peace and reconciliation” as the only way forward.

Analysis: Turaki’s Leadership Test Begins Immediately

The new chairman inherits a party grappling with multiple challenges. The PDP, which governed Nigeria for 16 consecutive years until 2015, has struggled to maintain unity and present a coherent opposition front in recent years.

Turaki’s immediate task will be to navigate the fallout from the controversial expulsions while building consensus among the party’s various factions. The public dissent from sitting governors indicates that the new chairman cannot assume unified support from the party’s most powerful elected officials.

The convention’s location in Ibadan, Oyo State—under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde—and the presence of other prominent figures including the Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro and former governors suggests the party maintains significant structural strength despite its internal divisions.

This report is based on original coverage from Per Second News.