By David Odama
National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tanimu Turaki, has described the opposition party as being at a crossroads, accusing some individuals of attempting to “kill” it.
Speaking during the handing-over ceremony by immediate past National Chairman Umar Damagum to the new National Working Committee (NWC), Turaki said efforts to undermine the PDP were driven by perceptions of the party as a political threat. He, however, assured that the new NWC would restore the party’s winning spirit.
“We will take the party back to the people. There will be no impunity, and there will be no injustice,” Turaki declared.
The new PDP helmsman acknowledged that the party currently faces significant internal challenges, with some actors determined to destroy it. He stressed that a healthy democracy thrives when multiple parties are allowed to operate freely.
Turaki further noted that the new NWC would use the handover notes from the outgoing leadership as a guide and called for cooperation from former members of the committee.
“We are at a crossroads because some feel the PDP must be killed, destroyed, or isolated due to the threat we pose. But in a democracy, you should live and let others live. Since assuming office, we have committed to taking this party back to the Nigerian people. This is the people’s party, and we will ensure a level playing field, transparency, fairness, and justice for all,” he said.
In his remarks, Damagum maintained that despite its internal challenges, the PDP remains “the party to beat,” which explains what he described as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)’s efforts to destabilize it.
He expressed confidence that the party would overcome its current difficulties and recover from the crisis that led to the loss of some governorships.
“We are a party to beat; that is why they are trying to frustrate us. We are people of faith. God is just and does not support injustice. Temporary gains achieved through unfairness will eventually meet divine justice,” Damagum said.
Following a meeting of the NWC, Turaki informed journalists that the party had issued certificates of expulsion to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and others expelled at the PDP national convention in Ibadan last month.
The PDP has been embroiled in internal disputes since the 2023 elections, with factions led by Governors Mohammed Bala and Seyi Makinde on one side, and Nyesom Wike on the other, battling for control of the party ahead of the 2027 polls.
The crisis intensified after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the party to halt plans for its November 15 – 16 National Convention, citing non-compliance with party rules in a suit filed by three aggrieved members allied to Wike.
Despite the order, the party proceeded with the convention following an Oyo State High Court ruling that allowed the exercise to continue. The convention culminated in the dissolution of the former NWC and the election of a new leadership, with Turaki emerging as national chairman.
