• Lamido threatens court action; Anyanwu, Bature deny knowledge of form sales
• Party postpones screening, Turaki submits chairmanship form
• Committee hails Ibadan’s readiness for convention
• APC chieftains dismiss Nabena’s warning of party implosion
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is again in turmoil, as bitter disagreements over “consensus” chairmanship arrangement and confusion surrounding nomination forms deepen internal divisions ahead of its November convention in Ibadan.
Former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, yesterday, threatened legal action after being denied the opportunity to obtain the form to contest for national chairman at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.
Lamido, who arrived at the Wadata Plaza secretariat in the morning, was reportedly shocked to learn that key party officials, including the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, and the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, claimed ignorance of the sale or availability of nomination forms for the forthcoming national convention.
Speaking with journalists after the incident, Lamido described the development as “strange and embarrassing,” warning that he would seek legal redress if he remained unable to obtain 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 said.
“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?”
Lamido expressed disappointment that the party’s internal administrative structures appeared to have been hijacked by a few individuals, warning that such tendencies could undermine the PDP’s democratic principles.
“It’s unfortunate that the functions of the National Executive Committee (NEC) are being taken over by individuals,” he said. “If the PDP must win elections in 2027, it has to return to discipline, fairness, and internal democracy. Otherwise, it risks total collapse.”
He also dismissed suggestions that his political ambition was being resisted due to alleged links with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the claims as unfounded.
“They met me in the PDP. I’ve been here since 1998, when many of those talking today were nowhere around the struggle that birthed this party,” Lamido stated.
The former governor further alleged that the move to produce a consensus candidate from the North was being manipulated to sideline him, claiming that scheduled meetings of stakeholders were pre-empted to favour certain aspirants.
“We from the North-West never met. The Governor of Zamfara had booked a hall for our meeting, but they fixed another meeting a day earlier just to pre-empt us,” he said.
Confusion deepens as top officers deny knowledge of form sales
CONFUSION has deepened within the PDP hierarchy as top national officers distanced themselves from the controversial sale of forms. Anyanwu told journalists that as the National Secretary, he had neither seen the nomination form nor been informed of any official process regarding its issuance.
“As Secretary of the PDP, I have not even seen the form. I don’t know the colour it was printed in. When I contested in 2021, I collected my form from the National Organising Secretary. Now, even he says he is not aware of any sale. That’s very strange,” Anyanwu said.
Similarly, the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, denied knowledge of the sale, insisting that no forms had been issued through his office.
“I don’t know anything about the sale of forms,” Bature said, leaving the matter shrouded in uncertainty. Amid the confusion, the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC), chaired by Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, announced the postponement of the screening of aspirants earlier scheduled for tomorrow.
A statement signed by Fintiri cited “unforeseen circumstances” as the reason for the postponement and assured party members that a new date would be communicated soon.
“The NCOC remains committed to delivering a credible and hitch-free 2025 Elective National Convention on November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State,” the statement read.
The development underscores growing disarray within the PDP ahead of its national convention, as factions jostle for control of the party’s leadership structure.
Political observers warn that unless urgent reconciliation efforts are undertaken, the crisis could deepen further, threatening the party’s cohesion and its chances in the 2027 general elections.
Turaki submits PDP chairmanship form, awaits screening
Lamido’s complaint not our business, says aide
MEANWHILE, former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki, has formally entered the race for the national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party, as his nomination form was submitted to the party’s national secretariat annexe in Abuja yesterday.
The form was submitted on his behalf by Umar Sani, former spokesman to ex–Vice President Namadi Sambo, who confirmed that the process was completed and duly acknowledged by party 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 former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido’s inability 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 stated.
Committee hails Ibadan’s readiness for convention
MEMBERS of the Peoples Democratic Party Convention Committee have expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness and facilities in Ibadan, Oyo State, ahead of the party’s national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16.
The committee, chaired by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, had earlier visited the city to inspect facilities at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex and the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, Alakia.
During an inspection tour of the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, the proposed venue for the convention, the committee’s secretary, Stanley Olajide, commended Oyo State’s readiness to host the event.
The inspection team, led by Oyo State Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal, was received by the State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Wasilat Adegoke, who guided them around the facilities, including the main bowl, toilet areas, training pitch, lighting systems, and other infrastructure.
Speaking after the tour, Olajide described the level of preparation as “impressive and reflective of Oyo State’s readiness.”
“We are highly satisfied with what we have seen today,” he said. “This visit is a preliminary assessment, and we are confident that Ibadan is ready to host one of the most well-organised PDP conventions in history. Governor Seyi Makinde’s commitment to the success of this event is evident in the excellent state of the facilities.” Olajide also assured that security arrangements for the convention would be comprehensive and professionally managed.
“Security is a top priority for the committee. Every measure is being taken to guarantee a safe and peaceful convention,” he added.
APC chieftains dismiss Nabena’s warning of party implosion
IN a separate development, two chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Samuel Aredeh and Kenelayefa Stevens, have faulted claims by a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, that recent defections could trigger a crisis within the party.
Nabena, in a recent interview, had warned that the APC might implode ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing growing internal discontent following the defection of several governors, including Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, to the ruling party.
Reacting to the statement, Aredeh, a former APC Vice Chairman in the Bayelsa West Senatorial District, described Nabena’s prediction as “laughable,” adding that the former publicity scribe no longer had political relevance within the party.
“Implode? That’s laughable. The only thing that has imploded is Yekini Nabena’s political career,” Aredeh said. “He is a forgotten figure trying to crawl back into relevance by attacking those who are actually building the APC. Let’s not mince words, Nabena is a disgraced political errand boy, not a stakeholder.”
He alleged that Nabena was speaking on behalf of former Governor Timipre Sylva and the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, claiming he had long acted as “a disposable microphone” for them.
“Now that his masters have no use for him, he’s running to the press hoping to be noticed again,” Aredeh said. “What Nabena fails to understand, perhaps deliberately, is that the influx of new members is proof of confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership. The APC is not breaking; it is expanding. Only a man consumed by bitterness will see progress and call it a problem.”
In his remarks, Stevens also dismissed Nabena’s comments as “unfounded and misleading,” accusing him of having little electoral influence within the party.
“It is difficult to take seriously the opinion of someone who, on election day, chooses the comfort of a hotel room over active participation in the field,” Stevens said. “I challenge Nabena to publish his polling unit results from 2015 to date. Politics is not a platform for empty rhetoric; it is a results-driven endeavour, and in this regard, he has consistently underperformed.”
Stevens further alleged that Nabena’s statements were part of an attempt to preserve the influence of his political allies, adding that Governor Diri’s defection was a strategic advantage for the APC.
“Politics is, and always will be, a game of numbers. Governor Diri’s defection is a strategic gain that strengthens our party’s position ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
“Contrary to Nabena’s fears, Governor Diri has proven himself to be a unifier; an inclusive leader committed to working with all stakeholders for the collective good. His arrival has been met with enthusiasm by the majority of our party faithful.”
Stevens also praised the APC National Chairman for his “competence and administrative prowess,” saying the party under his leadership “remains robust, inclusive and forward-looking.”
“No amount of fear-mongering or self-serving commentary will derail the progress we are making,” he added.
