PDP CONVENTION: Turaki Emerges National Chairman, Arapaja National Secretary
•By KAZEEM OYENIYI
IBADAN – THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday elected Dr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN) as its new National Chairman and Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja as National Secretary at a well-attended elective national convention held at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The convention, which attracted 2,725 delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, is being widely described as a major step in the opposition party’s renewed push for internal cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The exercise opened on November 15 and extended into the early hours of November 16, proceeding smoothly and with a level of organisation observers hailed as one of the party’s most coordinated in recent years. Senator Ben Obi, who supervised the electoral process, led delegates through what many described as a transparent, credible, and hitch-free voting procedure—reinforcing the PDP’s claims of deepening internal democracy.
Dr. Turaki emerged almost unopposed after his closest rival, Senator Yakubu Lado, withdrew from the race, clearing the way for Turaki to become the consensus candidate for the party’s highest office. His supporters celebrated the outcome as a new opportunity to rebuild and reposition the PDP to mount a stronger challenge against the ruling party in 2027.
