The Peoples Democratic Party has elected the former minister of special duties and intergovernmental affairs, Kabiru Turaki, as its new national chairman.
Turaki, the sole candidate for the top position of the main opposition party, got 1,516 votes in the election, which took place on Saturday during the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.
His election followed the earlier withdrawal of the 2023 gubernatorial candidate of the party in Katsina state, Lado Danmarke, who also secured 275 votes, despite dropping out of the race.
Meanwhile, Solarin Adekunle polled 633 votes to get elected as the deputy National Organizing Secretary.
The positions of youth leader and deputy national legal adviser were stepped down, while the remaining 17 positions were unopposed and therefore returned elected.
Recall that the PDP National Executive Committee had in August, zoned its presidential ticket to the South, and the national chairmanship to the North, in line with the party’s tradition.
In his acceptance speech, Turaki pledged to make fairness and equity the watchwords of his tenure, as he promised to unite the aggrieved members and bring back those that had left for other political parties.
He also urged the judiciary to refrain from interfering in internal political matters, and always do everything constitutionally to safeguard the nation’s democracy.