The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has elected Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, as its new National Chairman. This election, described by party insiders as a “unity move to reposition the opposition ahead of 2027,” took place on Saturday during the party’s national convention held at the historic Liberty Stadium in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Turaki emerged unopposed after his only challenger, Lado Danmarke, the 2023 PDP governorship candidate in Katsina State, withdrew from the race. Despite Danmarke's withdrawal, he still garnered 275 votes, indicating that some elements within the party were not entirely aligned with the consensus deal struck among influential northern power blocs. Turaki secured a commanding 1,516 votes to officially assume the top position, which had been strategically zoned to the North. This decision followed the PDP’s August resolution to allocate the 2027 presidential ticket to the South, in adherence to its rotational power arrangement.

In his acceptance speech after the swearing-in of the new officers at the conclusion of the Elective Convention in Ibadan, early Sunday morning, November 16, Chairman Kabiru Turaki, SAN, pledged to ensure that power returns to the Nigerian people. He assured that there would be “no more impunity, no more suppression of the will of Nigerians,” emphasizing that the new leadership would be open to listening to the yearnings of members and aligning with their will. Turaki declared an end to the era of internal divisions and political marginalization, vowing to foster inclusiveness, strengthen party structures, and unite all factions for a formidable opposition ready to challenge for national leadership in 2027.