The crisis threatening to derail preparations for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention deepened on Monday as former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, vowed to take legal action following his failed attempt to obtain the nomination form for the position of national chairman.
Lamido’s outburst came amid growing discontent within the opposition party over the endorsement of former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as consensus candidate for the chairmanship ahead of the convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Before Lamido’s saga, some legal hurdles have been threatening the convention. A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 30 to deliver judgement in a suit seeking to halt the convention. The case, filed by some state party chairmen believed to be loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, an outspoken critic of the convention plan, has become a major test for the party’s unity and readiness for transition.
In addition, an alleged forgery petition filed with security agencies by the party’s embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, another Wike ally, has added to the tension. Anyanwu said that his signature was forged on correspondence submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) notifying it of the convention. The party’s National Working Committee and Board of Trustees have denied the claim, insisting that Anyanwu voluntarily signed the documents. However, the outcome of the ongoing security investigation could still shape the fate of the convention.
The development has widened divisions among PDP power blocs, particularly between the camp loyal to Wike and those aligned with northern governors who pushed for Turaki’s emergence.
Speaking to journalists after being unable to purchase his nomination form at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, Lamido described the process as “manipulated” and warned that he would not hesitate to seek redress in court.