The Peoples Democratic Party Northern Stakeholders have endorsed a former minister Tanimu Turaki as their consensus candidate for the November 15 national convention in Ibadan.

The PDP Northern Stakeholders — comprising PDP governors, members of the National Working Committee, and other party leaders from the northern region — disclosed this after a closed-door meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Turaki served as the minister of special duties and intergovernmental affairs under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri said the decision followed extensive consultations and deliberations among the party’s northern leaders.

“We have met this evening to deliberate and take a decision on the office of the chairman of our great party, the PDP, which was zoned to the north.

“In our meeting, we have reflected deeply and widely through consultation and going to Ibadan for our national convention. We have adopted a consensus candidate to represent the North, and by extension, Nigeria, as the chairman of the PDP.

“That gentleman is KT Turaki, SAN. This is our decision this evening, and he is the person we are presenting at that convention as our chairman to represent our party, on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 in Ibadan,” he said

Mr Fintiri said the stakeholders represented all 19 northern states, including Abuja. However, he noted that anyone still interested in contesting the position was free to do so.

He added that all other positions zoned to the northern states would be decided at the regional level, and the region would present its candidates alongside others at the convention.

“Altogether, we have ten positions in the north, as far as the convention is concerned. Nevertheless, anybody who still feels they will want to contest in any position is free, and this is what our position has allowed.

“We are not excluding anybody. But then, we have just announced to you our consensus candidate, as far as these leaders are concerned. But if anybody still feels he wants to contest, I have said it, time without number. That the door is open,” he said.

When asked about plans to engage other northern PDP leaders interested in the chairmanship race, including former Governor Ibrahim Shakarau, he said everyone would be contacted.

“Of course, PDP is an institution, and we have a mechanism to handle all these issues. And we’ll reach out and we’ll talk to each other.

“We’ve been talking to ourselves, not today, not yesterday. This is a build-up of consensus in the last two weeks, and we have just a consultation, and this is just the result. I’m assuring you that the convention will be a rancour-free convention,” he said.

Also speaking on the gale of defections from the party to the All Progressives Congress, Mr Fintiri said that the PDP remained united.

“We are still united and focused, and our primary responsibility at the moment is the convention. And this is what we’re discussing,” he said.

At the meeting were Governors Bala Mohammed, Caleb Mutfwang, and Dauda Lawal.

Others included former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Governor Ahmed Makarfi, and members of the PDP NWC from the North under the leadership of Umar Damagum.

(NAN)