A former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki (SAN) on Monday submitted his nomination and expression of interet forms for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairmanship, saying he is not afraid of any aspirant.
Mr Umar Sani, a close confidant of Turaki and key stakeholder from the North-West zone, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen on Monday in Abuja, shortly after the submission of the forms.
Sani described the former minister as the perfect man for the PDP chairmanship position.
“We are here this afternoon to submit our completed expression of interest forms, the screening form meant to itemise things for screening and then the nomination form.
“Today is the final day for the submission of nomination forms. Turaki has fulfilled all righteousness and has duly submitted the nomination forms and all other forms that I have mentioned.
“These forms have been duly acknowledged, a copy of which is here for you to see,” he said.
On why a former Governor of Jigawa, Sule Lamido, was unable to obtain the nomination form at the PDP national secretariat, Sani clarified the timeline for the process.
“Today is not a day for selling of forms. Today is a day for submission of forms.
“So, if Lamido went to Wadata looking for forms, he went to the wrong place because the party has stipulated which day you are supposed to go and buy forms, and which day you are supposed to submit forms,” Sani said.
He, however, said that the Turaki team had followed due process in the purchase and submission of the forms.
“Now, let me tell you this, that the party has the powers, as provided by the latest judgment of the Supreme Court, to decide how it wants to run its own internal affairs.
“So, how we got the form is immaterial. We have gotten the form, and we are contesting,” he said.
According to him, the party’s national secretariat, not the aspirant’s team, is responsible for explaining the forms distribution process.
“If Wadata cannot explain, that is the responsibility of the PDP to explain to you. It is not our responsibility. Ours is to contest, and we are contesting,” he said.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the micro-zoning of the chairmanship to the North-West and the endorsement of Turaki as a consensus candidate, Sani said that the process was not arbitrary but followed a meeting where all relevant stakeholders from the North were adequately represented.
He said that contestants were asked to reconcile among themselves and subsequently left the choice to the governors.
“The governors went, held a brief meeting, and came back and said they have selected Turaki as the consensus candidate, and nobody who was there raised a finger to raise any objection; nobody objected at the meeting,” he said.
He questioned why opposition surfaced only after the meeting.
Sani also dismissed the suggestion that Turaki was afraid of other candidates, noting his long-standing commitment to the party.
“Turaki has been in this party for a very long time. He has never aspired to become a House of Reps member, a senator, a governor, only that he aspired to become president,” Sani said.
He highlighted Turaki’s neutrality and experience as a former minister and legal practitioner.
“He is neither with Wike nor the governors’ forum. He is an independent-minded person, and we hope that he will bring his wealth of experience,” he added.
On efforts to reconcile with other aspirants like Lamido, Sani said Turaki spoke with Lamido on the telephone on Saturday.
“Turaki is not a troublemaker. He likes peace all the time. He has always considered Lamido as his senior brother and he calls him as such,” he said. (NAN)
