A former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has been elected the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
His emergence was confirmed on Saturday night by former Anambra Central senator, Ben Obi, who served as the Chief Returning Officer at the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Obi announced that Turaki became the consensus choice after the party’s 2023 governorship candidate in Katsina State, Lado Danmarke, stepped down from the contest.
Despite his withdrawal, Danmarke still received 275 delegate votes, while Turaki secured 1,516 votes to clinch the chairmanship.
He revealed that 1,834 ballots were cast in total, with 43 votes declared invalid.
“It is therefore clear from the votes cast that Tanimu Turaki has been duly elected as the National Chairman of the PDP, having polled 1,516 votes,” Obi declared.
Obi also announced that Solarin Sunday Adekunle was elected Deputy National Organising Secretary with 633 votes.
He added that the elections into the positions of National Youth Leader and Deputy National Legal Adviser were suspended, while 17 other national offices had unopposed candidates who were returned elected.
According to him, 3,131 delegates were expected to participate, while 2,745 delegates were accredited for the convention.
Meanwhile, earlier during the convention, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, former governor, Ayodele Fayose, among others were expelled.
