Controversy has trailed the November 15 National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as stakeholders from the North West geo-political zone said they were not consulted by other regions before the adoption of a consensus Chairmanship candidate.
PDP Northern stakeholders who met in Abuja on Wednesday, said the region has adopted former Minister of Special Duties Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, as consensus candidate for National Chairmanship position.
PDP has micro-zoned the National Chairmanship position to North West.
But the National Organising Secretary of the party, Capt. Umar Bature (retd.), who spoke after the meeting of party stakeholders from North West on Thursday, explained that the meeting of the zone, which supposed to hold on Wednesday for the purpose of choosing a consensus candidate, was shifted till Thursday at the instance of the Zamafara State governor, Dauda Lawal.
“This meeting was at the instance of the governor of Zamfara with a view to adopting a particular individual for the national chairmanship position zoned to the North West.
“A meeting was held yesterday (Wednesday) with other leaders of the Northern zones, and the name of an individual was reportedly adopted.
“The North West has not met to agree on that position. That’s why we came for this meeting, and unfortunately, that meeting again was postponed,” Bature stated.
The NOS said the zone has not adopted anybody as a candidate from, adding that there has been resentment due to a lack of consultation among the leaders of this zone.
“We believe we are the strongest zone in the PDP, and the attitude of our leaders in this regard made us take this position that we disagree with the governor’s position of yesterday, and we are going to have our own candidate that we will nominate for that position,” he said.
He contended that other zones have determined the positions micro-zoned to them and wondered why the North West would not be allowed to determine theirs.
Bature faulted Governor Umaru Fintiri’s declaration that the contest is still open despite the choice of Turaki as consensus candidate, arguing that “If it’s open, then why did they adopt somebody else?
“If it’s an open contest, they should have allowed others to come out and contest. They shouldn’t have just zoned it to one person.
“If he knew that the chairmanship position has been zoned to the North West, why should he adopt a candidate when he has not met others?”
The NOS added that the North West will still present its own consensus candidate after due consultations.
