PDP Elects Turaki as National Chairman, Arapaja Returns as Secretary
…Party Reiterates Commitment to Repositioning
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday night elected former Sokoto State governor, Dr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, as its new National Chairman at the party’s 2025 National Elective Convention held at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.
Former Oyo State deputy governor, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, was returned unopposed as National Secretary.
Turaki emerged winner with 1,834 votes, while 275 of the 2,745 accredited votes were declared void.
Delegates from Rivers, Abia, Imo, Plateau and Enugu states did not participate in the exercise, following their suspension after a motion moved on the convention floor by the host governor, Seyi Makinde.
Although most national offices were filled unopposed, the position of Deputy National Organizing Secretary was tightly contested.
Solarin Sunday Adekunle won the seat with 633 votes, defeating Adelabu Malomo (507 votes) and Olabiyiwa Ogundipe (417 votes) out of a total of 1,577 valid votes cast.
In his acceptance speech, Turaki acknowledged the challenges facing the PDP but expressed confidence in the party’s ability to overcome them.
He thanked the delegates for entrusting the new National Working Committee (NWC) with the mandate to steer the affairs of the party, assuring that the committee would work diligently to justify the confidence reposed in them.
Turaki also highlighted the PDP’s history, noting that it remains the only political party in Nigeria that has retained its original identity, motto and structure since inception, an attribute he linked to the party’s enduring commitment to Nigerians.
He announced that the NWC would soon unveil new guiding principles and operational models to reposition the party.
Extending an olive branch, the new chairman urged aggrieved members and those who left the party to return, stressing that unity was crucial to rebuilding the PDP and safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy.
Turaki further advised the judiciary to respect constitutional provisions and the doctrine of stare decisis, warning against interference in purely political matters.
