A fresh legal crisis may be looming ahead of the November 15 national convention of Nigeria’s opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as party founding member and former governor, Sule Lamido, has threatened legal action if denied the opportunity to purchase the national chairmanship nomination form.
Lamido made the threat on Sunday in Abuja after his unsuccessful attempt to obtain the form at the PDP national secretariat, accusing the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) of hijacking the process.
“If I don’t get the form, I’ll go to court. Simple,” Lamido declared.
He dismissed suggestions that he was seeking to buy the form outside the stipulated timeframe, alleging that the process had been manipulated to favour a consensus candidate.
The development adds to existing legal disputes that could jeopardise the forthcoming convention. Some PDP state chairmen are already in court seeking to halt the exercise over alleged irregularities in state congresses.
Dispute Over Forms and Consensus
Lamido insisted that the national chairmanship forms should have been sold by the National Organising Secretary’s office, but claimed the office was locked and its officials were unaware of the whereabouts of the documents.
“I went to the office of the National Organising Secretary, which is normally where the forms are sold, but it was locked,” Lamido said. “Both the National Secretary and the Organising Secretary said they had no idea where the forms were being sold. I found that very strange.”
He accused the NCOC, chaired by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, of usurping the powers of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which he said must approve any changes to the nomination timeline.
The former governor alleged that the new arrangements were designed to favour former minister Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, who has been adopted by some northern PDP leaders as their consensus candidate.
However, Turaki’s camp dismissed Lamido’s claims, insisting that the window for form purchase had closed and that Lamido went to the wrong venue.
“Today is for submission of forms, not for purchase,” said Umar Sani, a spokesperson for Turaki’s campaign. “Lamido went to Wadata Plaza when the committee now operates from the annex headquarters. The process was clear — he simply missed it.”
INEC, Screening, and the Convention
According to an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) observer report obtained by Newsman, the PDP’s NEC had approved September 8–22, 2025, as the official period for the sale of nomination forms for positions to be contested at the November convention.
The NCOC has since postponed the screening of aspirants, initially scheduled for Tuesday, October 28, citing “unforeseen circumstances.”
Governor Fintiri said a new date would be announced soon, adding that the committee remained “committed to delivering a credible and hitch-free convention in Ibadan on 15–16 November 2025.”
Lamido’s Criticism of Party Processes
Lamido argued that the PDP must return to internal discipline if it hopes to be competitive in the 2027 general elections.
“If the party is not organised and we don’t follow our constitution and procedures, how can we win elections?” he said.
He also dismissed claims that he was overlooked because of alleged flirtations with another party, saying,
“Where were these people in 1998 when we fought to build the PDP? Don’t bring up divisive issues.”
Turaki’s Camp Defends Consensus Process
Responding to Lamido’s criticism, Sani defended Turaki’s endorsement, explaining that northern PDP leaders — including governors from Adamawa, Zamfara and Taraba — met and collectively agreed on the former minister as the consensus choice.
“Consultations were done. The governors met with stakeholders across the northern states and the aspirants were asked to reconcile. They later resolved to allow the governors to decide, and they unanimously picked Kabiru Tanimu Turaki,” Sani said.
He added that the PDP governors have always influenced leadership selections within the party’s history, citing precedents dating back to former chairmen such as Solomon Lar, Barnabas Gemade, Ahmadu Ali, and Uche Secondus.
“Governors are stakeholders; they’ve always played key roles in PDP leadership decisions,” he said. “It’s unfair to suggest Turaki imposed himself. The process followed party tradition.”
