By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Northern Stakeholders have endorsed former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, as their consensus candidate for the Nov. 15 National Convention in Ibadan.

The PDP Northern Stakeholders ? comprising PDP governors, members of the National Working Committee (NWC), and other party leaders from the northern region ? disclosed this after a closed-door meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Turaki served as the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs under President Goodluck Jonathan?s administration.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa said the decision followed extensive consultations and deliberations among the party?s northern leaders.

?We have met this evening to deliberate and take decision on the office of the chairman of our great party, the PDP, which was zoned to the north.

?In our meeting, we have reflected deeply and widely through consultation and going to Ibadan for our national convention.

?We have adopted a consensus candidate to represent the North, and by extension, Nigeria, as the chairman of the PDP.

?That gentleman is KT Turaki, SAN. This is our decision this evening; and he is the person we are presenting at that convention as our chairman to represent our party, on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 in Ibadan,? he said

Fintiri said the stakeholders represented all 19 northern states, including Abuja, the FCT.

However, he noted that anyone still interested in contesting the position was free to do so.

He added that all other positions zoned to the northern states would be decided at the regional level, and the region would present its candidates alongside others at the convention.

?Altogether, we have ten positions in the north, as far as the convention is concerned.

?Nevertheless, anybody who still feels he will want to contest in any position is free, and this is what our position has allowed.

?We are not excluding anybody. But then, we have just announced to you our consensus candidate, as far as these leaders are concerned.

?But if anybody still feels he wants to contest, I have said it, time without number. That the door is opened,? he said.

When asked about plans to engage other northern PDP leaders interested in the chairmanship race, including former Jigawa State governor Ibrahim Shakarau, he said everyone would be contacted.

?Of course, PDP is an institution, and we have mechanism to handle all these issues. And we?ll reach out and we?ll talk to each other.

?We?ve been talking to ourselves, not today, not yesterday. This is a build-up of consensus in the last two weeks, and we have just a consultation, and this is just the result.

?I?m assuring you that the convention will be a rancour-free convention,? he said.

Also speaking on the gale of defections from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Fintiri said that PDP remained united.

?We are still united and focused, and our primary responsibility at the moment is the convention.

?And this is what we?re discussing,? he said.

At the meeting were Govs. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Caleb Mutfwang, of Plateau, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State and Dauda Lawal, of Zamfara.

Others included former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi, Turaki and members of the PDP National Working Committee from the North under the leadership Umar Damagum. (NAN)

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