A former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has declared his intention to join the race for the national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The development is coming after some PDP leaders, including governors, endorsed former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, as their consensus chairmanship candidate ahead of the party’s convention, slated for November.
However, Adamawa State Governor and Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, had clarified that the endorsement did not preclude other aspirants from contesting the seat.
SPONSOR AD
The arrangement did not go down well with some party members in the North West, Turaki’s home zone, who rejected the endorsement by the governors.
Led by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, and joined by stakeholders such as Mustapha Sule Lamido, the dissenting group argued that the governors did not consult the North West stakeholders before adopting Turaki as their candidate.
Similarly, the PDP in Katsina State had also rejected Turaki’s endorsement, citing lack of consultation with stakeholders in the North West Zone.
Addressing journalists in Birnin Kebbi over the weekend, the PDP Publicity Secretary in the State, Sani Dododo, stressed that the zone should be allowed to select its own candidate in line with the party’s zoning arrangement.
While defending the choice of Turaki as their consensus candidate, Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, argued that the decision was in line with the party’s constitution, which, according to him, provides for consensus as a legitimate means of selecting leaders.
Speaking on Friday during the inauguration of the accreditation sub-committee for the forthcoming national convention, Lawal described the disagreement that trailed the endorsement as part of normal political dynamics.
“No matter what we do, some people will still be aggrieved. It is part of politics,” he said.
But in a statement on his Facebook handle on Monday, Sule Lamido, also a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, declared that he would run for the office of the national Chairman of the PDP.
He stated that he would be at the national headquarters of the party on Monday to pick the nomination form, reiterating his resolve to repositioning the party.
He wrote: “By the grace of God, I shall today Monday 27th October 2025 by 11am be at Wadata Plaza, the National Headquarters of our very party, PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY to purchase the nomination form to run for the office of the National Chairman of the Party.
“My commitment to Democracy and resolve to restore our dear Party to its old glory is unstoppable!”
