The factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has disowned a meeting reportedly convened by members of his camp to endorse Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris ahead of the 2027 general Elections. Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, denied any knowledge of the gathering in response to media inquiries.
“We are not aware of the meeting. ‘Shirmen banaza ne,'” Turaki said, using a Hausa phrase meaning “it is a fabrication.”
An online publication had reported that the meeting involved former minister Buhari Bala and retired General Ishaya Bamayi, who were said to have facilitated discussions culminating in a resolution to support the Idris administration in the 2027 polls. Turaki stated his faction was not privy to the gathering and therefore could not endorse any resolution attributed to it.
The development underscores the deepening factional divisions within the PDP as the party positions itself for the next electoral cycle. The party currently operates with rival leadership structures, one led by former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and the other by Turaki. Neither faction has publicly nominated a governorship candidate for Kebbi State in the 2027 election.
Political analysts say the competing claims of authority continue to undermine the PDP’s coherence at both state and national levels. The inability to present a unified front in key states like Kebbi could weaken the party’s prospects in the upcoming elections.
Observers note that the reported endorsement, whether authorized or not, highlights the strategic importance of incumbent governors in the party’s internal power dynamics. Governor Idris, elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, remains a focal point of political realignment speculation in the North-West.
The PDP’s national secretariat has not issued an official statement on the reported meeting or Turaki’s disclaimer. Party stakeholders are awaiting clarity on the leadership dispute, which has persisted since the aftermath of the 2023 general elections. Resolution of the factional crisis is widely seen as a prerequisite for the party’s effective mobilization ahead of 2027.
