One-party state will endanger Nigeria’s democracy– Turaki

The newly elected national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), says attempts to weaken the opposition and steer Nigeria towards a one-party system would endanger the country’s democracy and carry consequences beyond its borders. He also said Nigerians should expect a major turnaround in the opposition party within six months, declaring that […]

The newly elected national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), says attempts to weaken the opposition and steer Nigeria towards a one-party system would endanger the country’s democracy and carry consequences beyond its borders. He also said Nigerians should expect a major turnaround in the opposition party within six months, declaring that his leadership will return the PDP to the grassroots, rebuild public confidence and open its doors to new entrants ahead of the 2027 elections. Turaki, who spoke in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, said the party under his watch would operate transparently and without favouritism, insisting that only candidates genuinely supported by the people would get the PDP ticket 

 

Congratulations on your emergence as chairman of the party and for agreeing to this interview, which is the first you are granting since your election as national chairman of the PDP. It must, however, be stated that you emerged at one of the most turbulent moments in the history of the PDP, and people wonder: why did you step forward for this responsibility at such a crucial stage?

Well, it’s important to understand from the beginning that life itself is about challenges. Politics is not an absence of crisis or conflict. You bring people together from different perspectives, with interests that are sometimes diametrically opposed. The whole essence is to harmonise those interests and carry everyone along in a way that gives them a sense of belonging.

That is the essence of politics. There is no particular time that is more turbulent in the life of a political party than another. For us in the PDP, we’ve seen more tense moments than what we have now.

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We have experienced every good thing that could happen to a political party, just as we have gone through the bad and the challenging. We became the first party to consistently rule for 16 unbroken years in Nigeria’s political history, to win four consecutive elections, and to transition from civilian to civilian rule. We were also the first ruling party to concede defeat to an opposition party. We have witnessed different leadership challenges, from the Ali Modu Sheriff episode to several others, yet the PDP weathered those storms.

This time will not be different. We have an in-built conflict-resolution mechanism, and this is where my own experience as a chartered arbitrator, mediator and conciliator will come into play.

What we must do is build strong bridges of friendship across all levels, and that is what we intend to do from day one. Challenges make the job interesting. If one comes into office and there is nothing to do, it is better to stay at home. For us in the PDP, this is not new.

It is something that can be done. I believe I can do it. I believe my skills can help resolve the challenges facing the PDP at this moment, and that is why I came forward and accepted the responsibility at this critical time.

 

You sound optimistic despite the reality. But yesterday, INEC’s absence at the convention raised concerns, and the convention planning committee chairman, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, even withdrew at the last minute citing this issue. Do you think this casts doubt on the legitimacy of the process that produced you?

Sorry, let me correct that impression. The chairman of the national convention planning committee did not stand down. He did not step aside. He was there from the beginning till the end and chaired the convention.

It is important for people to understand that the obligation PDP or any political party has when conducting a convention or any function requiring statutory notice is simply to notify INEC. Once notice is given and acknowledged within the timeframe required by law, we have fulfilled our obligation under the Electoral Act. INEC cannot be compelled to attend.

If they come, fine, they carry out their statutory functions. If they don’t, that does not stop us from proceeding. I can assure you that INEC was given statutory notice; more than enough notice.

They were present at our 100th NEC meeting, where decisions were taken to convene the convention and to constitute the zoning committee and the national convention organising committee. They were also present when the dates, 15 and 16 November, were approved.

Even beyond that, if you look at the record of our 101st NEC meeting, they were there as well. It was in their presence that the zoning committee submitted its report, which was unanimously adopted. So for anyone to claim INEC was not duly notified is neither here nor there.

We discharged our obligation fully. But we do not have the power to force them to come.

 

It was observed that some delegates from certain states didn’t show up. In your own state, Kebbi, there were reports that the state executive opposed your nomination. Does this not indicate that you are unpopular at home? And how do you plan to unify state chapters that did not fall in line?

At the last count, we had full representation from 32 states out of 36, plus the FCT. For the FCT, for instance, the chairman abstained for reasons that were understandable, but the deputy chairman led a delegation. Even in Kebbi, I am a delegate. Retired General Ishaya Bamaiyi is a delegate, he was there. Former minister Alhaji Buhari Bala was there. The deputy national publicity secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, was also there, along with many other statutory delegates.

We must understand, in politics as in life, that it is impossible to be loved by everybody, even within your own family. Some people will like you, some may not. What is important is substantial acceptance, which we clearly had yesterday.

Absence does not always mean opposition. For example, Ben Ezra Dikki, a member of the Board of Trustees from Kebbi, was absent because he was bereaved. Can anyone say he stayed away because he dislikes me? No, he had genuine personal reasons.

Even in a court of law, what matters is substantial compliance. Out of 36 states, 32 were fully represented, and from the remaining four and the FCT, a substantial number still attended. So nobody can convincingly claim there was widespread discontent with the process or with me personally.

I do not expect everyone to like me. It is my duty to reach out to both those who supported me and those who did not, bring them back into the fold, and give them a sense of belonging.

 

Regardless, there is a toga around your neck. Some believe the governors brought you in, and that you may become a stooge to them. How do you respond?

How many votes did I get yesterday? Over 1,500. How many governors were present? Five. How can five governors translate into over 1,500 votes? Even if you calculate the delegates from the states of those five governors, the numbers cannot add up to that.

Since yesterday when I was elected, the equation has changed. The enthusiasm is incredible, not only within the PDP family, but across Nigeria. People feel their party is coming back.

I was elected by the Nigerian people, specifically the delegates of the PDP, who reposed confidence in me and in the new National Working Committee. Our duty is to serve those who voted for us as well as those who did not. That is their inalienable right.

 

You consider crisis management one of your strengths, yet the convention yesterday took a major decision: the expulsion of several chieftains, including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti governor Ayo Fayose, and nine others. Do you see this as an albatross on your tenure? Would you have preferred that the leaders waited for you to take charge before acting? Would you have taken a different approach?

Decisions have to be taken.

Up until I was sworn in, I was not in charge of the party. Even now, although we have been elected and sworn in, we have not been inaugurated. We officially take over on 9 December 2025, by God’s grace.

A party of the PDP’s size does not take decisions without reasons. When we take over, the handover notes will explain why certain fundamental decisions were made. We will study them.

But I am a party man. I was there. Whatever the party articulated and adopted at the convention, we must support and implement.

 

But personally, is this an approach you would have taken?

I do not think so. Sometimes in life, one must take painful decisions, but it is better to take a decision, even a painful one, than to take none at all. History forgives wrong decisions more easily than indecision.

The PDP reached a point where certain decisions had to be taken to pull the party out of the woods. I believe that was the intention behind the actions taken.

 

You said it might not have been your approach. Would you have acted differently?

If I were in charge and a different situation presented itself, and the national convention, where delegates from all states are present, decided that a particular decision must be taken, who am I? I am only a servant of the people. They decide.

I said yesterday that what makes the PDP different is that it is owned by the people. One of our resolutions was to return the party to the people. When the question was put before the delegates yesterday, the response was thunderous. That shows this is what they had wanted all along.

So if the people want it, we will give them what they want. That is how we retain confidence and maintain peace. People are free to move to other political parties, but we want to retain ours. How do we do that? By giving the party back to them.

This party belongs to Nigerians, not just PDP members. That is why we have survived. Take your party back. If that is what they want, we will give it to them — and we will forge ahead.

 

But Governors Caleb Mutfwang and Ahmadu Fintiri have distanced themselves from the expulsion decision. Don’t you think this suggests you are starting your tenure on shaky ground?

Well, the issue of starting on shaky ground does not arise. I can tell you that Governor Fintiri is a brother and a friend to me, and I respect him so much. There is a very strong bond between us. So I do not think he would do anything that would make me start on a shaky foundation.

For Governor Caleb Mutfwang, he is my colleague, my friend, and also my brother. He has supported this project 100%. None of them will directly or indirectly do anything that would undermine my assumption of the responsibilities or functions of the national chairman of the PDP.

 

Like I said, differences arise. But this is where my skills as a mediator and conciliator will come in. Even between the tongue and the teeth, there are tense moments sometimes. Does that mean the tongue or the teeth will throw out the other? No.

We will sit down with them. We will try to understand the perspective they are coming from. We will also make them understand the perspective from which the party is coming. But I assure you, somewhere along the line, there will be a meeting point. And when we get to that meeting point, we will all come back together and move forward together.

That is PDP for you. That is why we are different.

 

You are coming at a time when several party members have resigned, some have gone to the ADC, others to the ruling APC. There are concerns from other opposition parties that the ruling party is attempting to create a one-party system. How do you plan to counter this under your leadership? And do you even believe that a one-party system is possible?

I do not think that a one-party system is possible because, if you look at our historical perspective, even before independence to date, there has never been a time when Nigeria survived under one single political party.

Even under the military, there were oppositions — that was why military interventions kept happening. But let me tell you: the responsibility of ensuring that democracy survives in Nigeria is not just for politicians. Journalists, you have an obligation by reporting well and helping society understand what is happening.

You do not see attempts to undermine democratic rules and then look the other way. There are journalists and media organisations that are involved in this. The judiciary has a role, civil society has a role, influencers have a role.

People have a responsibility, whatever sector they work in. You need to get involved. You need to speak your mind. You need to enlighten people.

The problem we have is that many believe entrenching democracy is solely the responsibility of politicians. No. All men and women of goodwill and conscience must help ensure democracy survives.

How do we do this? Through different levels of participation. You do not have to be partisan to get involved. For me, yes, democracy is under threat, and this is the case in many developing countries, especially in Africa.

That is why we are here: to work with other political parties under IPAC, with civil society organisations, with the international community, and with the fourth estate of the realm, so we can ensure democracy is safeguarded. Because if you undermine democratic institutions or attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party system, democracy will collapse.

And God forbid, if democracy collapses in Nigeria, the consequences will be global. I do not think anyone in government would want that kind of situation.

 

But four governors of your party have already defected, and reports say several more, starting with Taraba’s Governor Agbu Kefas, may follow. How do you plan to stop this trend, considering governors are powerful players in the party structure?

You see, this is the mistake people make. It is about choice. I did say earlier that people are at liberty to come in and leave. The reasons that brought them into the PDP in the first place may have changed.

Maybe they have realised that their performance to their people is so abysmal that they may not get the platform again. Because, as I said, we are taking this platform back to the people. We are taking the PDP back to the people.

And there is no room for favouritism. If the people want you, then the people will have you. If they don’t want you, then we will say, “Sorry, you won’t have this ticket.” Perhaps try elsewhere.

Everybody, not just governors, is making choices. There are even people who are not politicians now developing interest in joining the PDP.

Since my election yesterday, the number of people from other political parties who have called me to say, “Now we believe the PDP is coming alive and we want to join you” is incredible. But these are not things we say on national television. Discussions must take place first.

And we are going after them. You will be surprised. Give me six months and see what the PDP will turn into.

 

Within those six months, is there any hope for members who have been suspended or expelled? Or is that chapter closed?

Politics, like life, is dynamic. At every point, there are changes. Those changes will inform what decisions or reviews will be made. I cannot sit here and tell you what will happen tomorrow. I am not in a position to do that.

But I assure you, as I assure Nigerians, that whatever situation comes up, we will be prepared to address it. When we get to that bridge, we will cross it.

We are bridge builders. We have the capacity to build strong bridges of friendship across the divides. And when we build those bridges, you will see the number of people crossing. Nigerians’ PDP is going to be different.

 

Looking ahead to 2027, do you expect the PDP to field a strong presidential candidate on its own, or is a broader opposition coalition more realistic? Alternatively, are you considering focusing on winning more governorship states in 2027 while positioning the PDP for a presidential comeback in 2031?

I do not know what will happen. But I assure you we will be open to all options, provided they strengthen democracy in Nigeria and are acceptable to our people.

What we want is for Nigerians to be rescued from the present situation. So whatever option is available and acceptable will be considered. The decision will be taken when we get there.

 

Historically, most substantive PDP chairmen have been forced out before completing their tenure. Why do you believe your case will be different, and what safeguards are you putting in place to ensure stability?

First, asking me this question is like asking what safeguards I will take to ensure I do not have malaria tomorrow. Some things are beyond me. The challenge is strengthening people and strengthening institutions.

The safeguard we need is to be open, fair-minded, equitable, and to give a level playing field to everyone.

If I enter a contest that is transparent, free, and fair, and I lose, I will accept it because I know I was fairly treated. But when people feel the goalposts have shifted or the playing field is uneven, problems arise.

So if we open up the process and liberalise the landscape, the tension we see now will begin to drop. Once people realise this leadership is different, fair-minded, equitable, just, they will key into it. The people will own the process.

I assure you, we will navigate away from issues that could create problems for us as party leaders. We were put here by the people, and what the people want is what we will do.

 

Finally, what message do you have for Nigerians, including non-party members, who worry that there may not be an alternative in 2027?

Nigerians, a new dawn has arrived in the PDP. This is a different leadership coming with a lot of responsibility.

We are going to conduct our affairs decently, openly, with transparency, and with a level playing field. PDP is opening a new chapter in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Our target is not just PDP members, our target is Nigerians. They are the ones who will vote.

We must do things that enrich their confidence in us. We must make Nigerians understand and believe that the PDP they used to know has returned. And they will own the process we are embarking upon.

At the end of the day, it is Nigerians who vote, not just PDP members. So we are going to appeal to all Nigerians, not just through our words or conduct, but through the impressions we create and in the way we run the party.

I assure you, Nigerians will come to believe this is a different PDP, a PDP without impunity, and they will support us as they did at the beginning.

Don’t forget: this is PDP. If it is not PDP, then it cannot be PDP.