A former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki (SAN), was on Saturday elected as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Ambassador Taofeek Oladejo Arapaja emerged as the National Secretary.
Turaki, an indigene of Kebbi State, and Arapaja, from Oyo State, emerged at the national convention of the party in Ibadan, Oyo State, where delegates from 17 states across the country cast their votes to choose national officers.
In what political analysts described as a belated effort to restore internal discipline among members, the faction of the party opposed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expelled the minister; former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose; factional National Secretary of the party, Samuel Anyanwu and eight others belonging to the Wike-led rival faction for alleged anti-party activities.
The main opposition party also dissolved the entire party structures in Imo, Abia, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers states.
Others expelled from the party include: National Legal Adviser, Adeyemi Ajibade (SAN), Umar Bature, AbdulRahman Mohammed, Mao Ohuambuwa, George Turner, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Ammah and Dan Orbih.
Meanwhile, the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, and his Plateau State counterpart, Caleb Mutfwang, have distanced themselves from the expulsion of the FCT minister and other PDP leaders.
Wike’s Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, has also mocked the main opposition party, saying that those who announced the minister’s expulsion were intoxicated.
This is just as the Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, has formally announced that he would defect from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, marking one of the most significant political realignments in the North-east ahead of the 2027 general election.
With this development, Kefas emerges as the first PDP governor from the north to defect to the APC since the 2023 general election.
The motion for the expulsion of Wike and others, which was unanimously supported by members of the PDP at the ongoing National Convention in Ibadan, was moved by one of the founding fathers of the party, Chief Bode George and seconded by Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of PDP’s Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed.
Moving the motion for their expulsion, George argued that the conduct of the 11 PDP members had become “inconsistent with the party’s collective interest.”
The Bauchi State governor, who quickly seconded the motion, later put it on vote and majority of the delegates affirmed it.
Meanwhile, Senator Ben Obi who announced the election of Turaki as national chairman, said he was elected with 1,516 votes to defeat his opponent, the 2023 governorship candidate of the PDP in Katsina State, Lado Danmarke, who scored 275 votes.
Danmarke had earlier withdrawn from the race before the convention.
Mr. Solarin Adekunle was also elected the Deputy National Organising Secretary while other candidates were elected unopposed.
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