The crisis threatening to derail preparations for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention deepened on Monday as former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, vowed to take legal action following his failed attempt to obtain the nomination form for the position of national chairman.

Lamido’s outburst came amid growing discontent within the opposition party over the endorsement of former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as consensus candidate for the chairmanship ahead of the convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Before Lamido’s saga, some legal hurdles have been threatening the convention. A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 30 to deliver judgement in a suit seeking to halt the convention. The case, filed by some state party chairmen believed to be loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, an outspoken critic of the convention plan, has become a major test for the party’s unity and readiness for transition.

In addition, an alleged forgery petition filed with security agencies by the party’s embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, another Wike ally, has added to the tension. Anyanwu said that his signature was forged on correspondence submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) notifying it of the convention. The party’s National Working Committee and Board of Trustees have denied the claim, insisting that Anyanwu voluntarily signed the documents. However, the outcome of the ongoing security investigation could still shape the fate of the convention.

The development has widened divisions among PDP power blocs, particularly between the camp loyal to Wike and those aligned with northern governors who pushed for Turaki’s emergence.

Speaking to journalists after being unable to purchase his nomination form at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, Lamido described the process as “manipulated” and warned that he would not hesitate to seek redress in court.

“I believe in consensus, but there must be consultations. If there are no consultations, then we are not united on board,” Lamido said.

“The zone I came from, the North West, never met. We were supposed to meet on Wednesday (last week), the Zamfara governor even booked the hall at Hilton for us; but they fixed another meeting for Tuesday to pre-empt ours. So, we never met. That’s the problem,” he said.

The former foreign affairs minister said he visited the Wadata Plaza, the traditional venue for the sale of nomination forms, but found the office of the National Organising Secretary locked.

“I met him and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and both said they had no idea where the forms were or how they were being sold. I found it strange that the custodian of the process was being locked out,” Lamido said.

He also expressed frustration that the forms were reportedly in the custody of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, who chairs the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC).

“So, I have to go to Adamawa to buy the form? If I don’t get the form, I’ll go to court. Simple,” he declared.

Despite his threat, Lamido maintained that the party’s crisis remained an internal issue.

“It’s a family problem. We’ll never fight because we want to win elections. Our opponents are outside, the APC. If we don’t have an organised house, how do we fight them?” he said.

We won’t let anyone derail our progress – PDP

But the party’s leadership has dismissed Lamido’s threats of litigation, insisting it will not allow “disgruntled elements” to derail preparations for its November national convention in Ibadan.

Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ibrahim Abdullahi, told Daily Trust that the PDP was determined to stay focused on its recovery process despite distractions.

“We are focused on moving forward and will not allow anyone or group to derail our progress,” Abdullahi said.

“At the last NEC meeting, the date for the sale and submission of forms was announced. The deadline for submission was October 22. Anyone coming after that is simply engaging in drama.”

He accused unnamed party members of seeking to destabilise the PDP for “external interests,” warning journalists not to “amplify the nonsense.”

“The northern leaders have taken a decision. Why is this one different? Let him (Lamido) go to court,” he said.

“If people are working for the APC or whoever their paymasters are, it’s enough. Let this PDP have a breather,” he added.

Abdullahi maintained that the process leading to the selection of Turaki as consensus chairmanship candidate followed the PDP’s historical pattern of leadership decisions being driven by governors and senior stakeholders.

“In the past, one person used to singlehandedly nominate chairmen. This time, four northern governors and several other party leaders came together to agree on one candidate. For those who have used this same system to their advantage in the past to now reject it, that’s hypocrisy,” he said.

He added that Lamido’s decision to appear at Wadata Plaza, instead of the Legacy House where the forms were officially being issued, was a mere publicity stunt.

“Nobody goes to the national secretariat to buy forms. That was just for media drama,” he said.

Convention screening postponed

Amid the controversy, the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) announced the postponement of the screening exercise for aspirants earlier scheduled for Tuesday, October 28.

In a statement signed by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, the chairman, the committee said the decision was due to “unforeseen circumstances” and that a new date would be communicated soon.

“The NCOC regrets any inconvenience caused by this postponement,” Fintiri stated, assuring that the committee remained committed to conducting “a credible and hitch-free national convention” in November.

Turaki submits form

While Lamido struggled to obtain his form, Turaki, the northern consensus candidate, submitted his completed nomination documents on Monday at the Legacy House, from where the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) is operating.

Addressing journalists, Mallam Umar Sani, spokesman for the Turaki campaign, confirmed that all requirements had been met and acknowledged by the party.

“If Sule Lamido went to Wadata Plaza looking for forms, he went to the wrong place,” Sani said.

“The party clearly stipulated when and where forms should be obtained and submitted. We have just submitted ours in line with the guidelines.”

Sani traced the history of PDP leadership selection, arguing that governors have always played decisive roles in choosing party chairmen.

“As a student of history, I can tell you that apart from Solomon Lar, all PDP chairmen since 1998 have been chosen through the influence of sitting presidents or governors,” he said.

He listed previous examples, from Audu Ogbeh and Ahmadu Ali under Obasanjo, to Vincent Ogbulafor under Yar’adua, and Bamanga Tukur and Adamu Mu’azu under Jonathan.

“After that, Wike and Fayose brought Ali Modu Sheriff, and later Samuel Ortom and Wike brought Iyorchia Ayu. So, governors have always had a say, this is not new,” he added.

Sani also insisted that consultations were held among all northern PDP stakeholders before Turaki’s endorsement.

“The governors of Zamfara, Adamawa and representatives from Taraba were present. The candidates were asked to reconcile and defer to the governors’ choice. Even Ibrahim Shekarau agreed. So, for anyone to now cry foul is unfair to Turaki, he didn’t choose himself,” Sani said.

Wike bloc shifts support to Ortom

Meanwhile, the camp loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has reportedly shifted its focus towards promoting former Benue State governor Samuel Ortom for the chairmanship position.

In his latest media chat, Wike, who has openly declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid despite remaining a PDP member, criticised the governors’ consensus process as a “booby trap” that could destroy the party.

“The way these present governors are doing, they will bury this party,” Wike said. “Are you telling me that because I’m not a governor, you’ll hold a PDP stakeholders’ meeting and exclude me, and then expect the party to survive?”

He dismissed claims that his closeness to the APC affected his loyalty to the PDP, saying, “All these talks about APC are rubbish. You mean two or three people, because they are governors and receive large allocations, will decide for all of us? Follow who?”

Sources close to the minister’s camp told Daily Trust that his group favours zoning the chairmanship to the North Central region to pave the way for Ortom’s emergence. They argue that since former chairman Senator Iyorchia Ayu from Benue State did not complete his tenure, fairness demands that the zone be allowed to retain the position.

The group reportedly drew parallels with the ruling APC’s decision to replace former chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu from the North Central with another candidate from the same zone, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda despite former Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar being at the helm affairs for two years in between.

How Turaki emerged as consensus candidate

While some leaders of the PDP in the North West, Turaki’s home zone, have rejected the governors’ endorsement, accusing them of unilateral action, reliable party sources said the selection of Turaki followed a northern stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja attended by governors, former governors, and senior party leaders.

Led by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, and joined by stakeholders such as Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido, the dissenting group argued that the governors did not consult the North West stakeholders before adopting Turaki as their candidate.

But sources revealed that before the governors’ meeting, former governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), and Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna) had all indicated interest in the chairmanship. However, Lamido reportedly stayed away from the meeting after learning that the governors had narrowed their preference to Turaki or Shekarau. But a source close to him said the former Jigawa governor was not at the meeting because he was not invited.

According to a source, “At the meeting, the governors asked aspirants who were still interested to indicate. Makarfi withdrew, while Shekarau and Turaki remained. When neither agreed to step down, the governors deliberated and eventually settled for Turaki as consensus candidate.”

Those present at the meeting included Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), as well as PDP acting national chairman Umar Damagum, former Senate president Bukola Saraki, former Minister of Information Prof. Jerry Gana, and Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, Daily Trust gathered.

Fintiri, who announced the outcome, said any dissatisfied aspirant remained free to contest at the convention.

Follow the governors’ lead, PDP chieftain urges

A former national chairmanship aspirant, Engineer Conrad Utaan, said it was wise for party members to respect the governors’ position.

“The governors are critical stakeholders, and it will be good to follow their direction,” Utaan said. “No compromise is too much to make for the survival of the party.”

He argued that the PDP has always relied on internal organs such as the BOT, NEC, and NWC to pre-empt sensitive decisions and maintain cohesion.

“I cannot remember any time the PDP threw open every national position for contest at the convention,” he said. “The governors have consulted senior members of the party and given direction, that’s the line we should follow.”

Utaan expressed optimism that dissenting voices would eventually align with the leadership’s decision.

“I hope that after some introspection, even those who are opposed now will come back to the table so we can rebuild the PDP together,” he said.

Umar Sani, who now speaks for Turaki, also accused some party officers of working with “external forces” to destabilise the PDP following Turaki’s adoption.

In a statement shared on X, Sani alleged that a “small but vocal group” led by National Organising Secretary Capt. Umar Bature, with support from the Wike camp, was attempting to discredit the governors’ decision.

“The PDP chairman is not a regional representative but the rallying point of the entire political organisation,” Sani said. “Capt. Bature himself became Organising Secretary through Tambuwal’s unilateral nomination. For him now to lead a rebellion is an act of insubordination and ingratitude.”

Sani said the choice of Turaki reflected “competence, character, and capacity to stabilise the PDP in turbulent times,” adding that those opposing the decision were “pursuing personal gain over collective party interest.”

“The governors’ decision is steeped in wisdom and foresight,” he said. “Any genuine lover of the PDP committed to its unity, stability, peace, and progress should stand by it.”

PDP needs new reconciliation committee – Tsauri

However, a former National Secretary of the party, Ibrahim Tsauri, has said that following the adoption of Turaki as consensus candidate for the party’s national chairmanship and the controversies that trailed it, the PDP urgently needs to set up a reconciliation committee to address emerging grievances.

Speaking with Daily Trust, Tsauri said the tension within the party was not unusual in a democracy, stressing that such disagreements were part of the democratic process.

“In a democracy, issues like this are normal. Nobody gets everything they want 100 per cent,” he said. “If I can give you my personal opinion, I’ll say it’s the beauty of democracy, the majority will have their way, but the minority will have their say.”

He acknowledged that while some members were dissatisfied with the adoption of Turaki, a significant number supported it. According to him, the party’s priority should now be to reconcile aggrieved members and rebuild unity.

“Since this happened, what we should have done by now is to set up a reconciliation committee and bring everyone back together,” Tsauri said.

He added that once the convention is concluded and leadership stabilised, many defectors who left the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other parties would return.

“Many of those defecting will come back once the leadership is stable and people see capable hands in charge,” he said. “That’s why people are excited about this development, because they see capacity.

“The moment Turaki consolidates his efforts, I believe he will bring back many members. Those leaving are doing so for different reasons, some for appointments, some are being induced, and some are being threatened,” Tsauri alleged. (Daily Trust)