The camp loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has faulted the endorsement of a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki (SAN) as the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

According to sources privy to the development, Wike, is backing a candidate from the North-Central and former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.

Sunday Telegraph gathered that the camp of the former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido has also opposed to the endorsement of Turaki.

“Both the Lamido group and the Wike camp are strongly opposed to the selection of Turaki as the consensus candidate for PDP National Chairman ahead of the forthcoming convention.

“They have been holding meetings, addressing press conferences and moving to discredit the process and promoting their preferred aspirants,” the source added.

Another senior leader of the party attributed the growing opposition to the failure of northern governors to engage in broad consultations before making their position public.

He stated, “There is no smoke without fire. What you see playing out is as a result of a lack of wider consultation. The people in the North, especially some stakeholders in the North Central and North West, felt slighted and disrespected that they were not consulted by the governors and some northern leaders who announced Turaki as a northern consensus candidate for the position of national chairman.

The governors are leaders in their own right, in their zones and in their states. They have some level of influence and control in the party and beyond. That is a known fact. But some of these leaders felt they should be accorded some level of respect too.

The governors are leaders in their own right, in their zones and in their states. They have some level of influence and control in the party and beyond.

“That is a known fact. But some of these leaders felt they should be accorded some level of respect too.

This is development is coming barely 20 days to the scheduled elective National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.

It would be recalled that during the PDP 102nd National Executive Committee meeting held on August 25 in Abuja, the party resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, while the position of National Chairman was reserved for the North.

Following this decision, Northern leaders met over the weekend and further micro-zoned the chairmanship position to the North-West.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi; ex-Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido; and the former Minister of Special Duties, Turaki, had emerged as the leading contenders for the top seat.

The decision was expected to be finalised at a zonal stakeholders’ meeting.

The meeting, attended by key party figures including PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang; Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal; PDP Board of Trustees Secretary, Ahmed Makarfi; and Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, also had in attendance former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; and Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, among others.

At the end of deliberations, the Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee and Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, announced on behalf of the governors and northern leaders that Turaki had been adopted as the consensus candidate for the National Chairmanship position.

He, however, clarified that any aspirant who disagreed with the consensus arrangement was free to contest at the convention.

The PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, while speaking on behalf of some northern leaders, refuted claims that the North-West had endorsed Turaki.

He stressed that no such meeting was held and that the zone would soon make public its preferred candidate.

A northern leader, who attended the meeting but spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, revealed that the rift stemmed from Lamido’s ambition to become the party’s National Chairman and Wike’s push for the position to be given to someone from the North-Central.

He stated, “As we speak, the PDP northern blocs are not on the same page, and this has caused agitation among members. The main drivers of this division are some groups, including a few former state chairmen and ex-governorship aspirants, who are backing Lamido for the position of PDP National Chairman.

“There is growing discontent over the decision by some northern governors and leaders to unveil Turaki (SAN) as the consensus candidate for National Chairman. Lamido’s supporters are aggrieved by this development.”