PDP will be on 2027 ballot, Turaki, Babangida Aliyu insist

By Lateef Ibrahim

The Dr. Taninu Turaki led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has declared that no individual or group can destroy the party.
The leader of the interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP declared that the party will participate in all categories of the 2027 general elections.
Turaki asserted this on Thursday while speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting of the INWC, governorship candidates and PDP Chairmen Forum in Abuja.
He stated that the current crisis facing the PDP was not unprecedented, recalling the 2016 leadership dispute that was eventually resolved through the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee.
His words, “Nobody, and I dare say, nobody can kill the PDP. PDP will continue to live.
“ There may be challenges here and there regarding the leadership of our party, but this is nothing new to us.
“We shall overcome, and indeed we are overcoming.”
Turaki accused some forces allegedly linked to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of fueling crises within opposition parties, saying it was unfortunate that many of the political upheavals in the opposition space could be traced to “the footsteps of the party in government.”
Notwithstanding the internal disputes and a recent court judgment in a suit filed by the party’s Board of Trustees, Turaki maintained that the PDP remained legally and politically viable.
“The essence of every political party is to legitimately capture power. 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—from the presidential election down to the state Houses of Assembly elections,” he assured.
Turaki told party stakeholders that the meeting was convened to review the implications of the judgment and agree on strategies that would reposition the PDP ahead of the next election cycle.
Speaking also at the meeting, the Board of Trustees Secretary of the party and former governor of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu, praised the interim leadership for pursuing legal and constitutional means to resolve the crisis.
Aliyu described the current turmoil as an “internal combustion” and took a swipe at politicians who defected from the party for what he called selfish reasons.
“Those who thought they could kill PDP by running away to another party are now suffering more than what we are going through,” Aliyu said, urging members to remain patient and steadfast.
On his part, the Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen’s Forum, Hon. Tony Aziegbemi, criticized former PDP leaders who now speak against the party.
He said the PDP made mistakes by elevating individuals, who later turned against the platform that gave them political prominence.
Aziegbemi also condemned what he described as the excessive accumulation of wealth by public officials while millions of Nigerians face hunger and hardship.
He, however, called for unity, internal reforms, and renewed efforts to reposition the PDP as a credible opposition force ahead of the 2027 elections.