By Ahmed Akanbi
A factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tanimu Turaki, has said the party remains alive and will participate in all elections in 2027 despite its current internal challenges.
Turaki stated this on Thursday at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja where he thanked members for attending at short notice, saying the turnout gave him hope and confidence in the future of the PDP.
“For us in PDP, we’ve seen all seasons. We’ve seen the good times. We’ve also seen the bad times. We’ve seen days of prosperity, just as we’ve also seen days of adversity,” he said.
He noted that the kind of challenge the party is facing today is not new, recalling a time when attempts were made to hijack the party’s leadership and hand it to impostors.
Turaki cited the period when a caretaker committee was set up under Senator Ahmed Makarfi to save the party, describing the current crisis as “a child’s play” compared to that era and expressed confidence that the PDP would overcome.
The essence of the meeting, he said, was to brief stakeholders on recent developments, including the judgment delivered last Friday in a suit instituted by the party’s Board of Trustees.
He regretted that the Interim Working Committee had not officially responded to the judgment because many members were out of the country, adding that the meeting would dissect the judgment and agree on the way forward.
Turaki also lamented the tension and crises in other opposition parties, alleging that tracing their genesis would lead back to the ruling party.
“While other political parties are having existential threat, while their existence is shaking, nobody, and I dare say, nobody can kill the PDP. PDP will continue to live,” he declared.
He assured stakeholders that the PDP would be on the ballot in all rounds of the 2027 elections, from presidential to state houses of assembly.
“You cannot capture power unless you are on the ballot. I want to tell you that PDP shall be on the ballot for all rounds of the 2027 elections,” he said.
Turaki commended members for their loyalty and belief in democracy.
Quoting the late Tai Solarin, he said: “Nigeria and my country, I no go lie. You push me so, I push you so.”
He added that the PDP has the strength to push back and would not abandon the country.