PDP Chair Turaki Vows to Reform Party Ahead of 2027 Elections
The newly elected National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has pledged sweeping reforms aimed at rebuilding the party and positioning it to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday night at an event honouring former Minister of Information and Culture, Professor Jerry Gana, on his 80th birthday, Turaki said the PDP under his leadership would embrace transparency, fairness and internal democracy. The celebration also featured the unveiling of a 425-page biography, Jerry Gana, Stewardship and Integrity, authored by Simon Musa.
Turaki stressed that the era of candidate imposition was over, adding that the party would now prioritise credibility, merit and the will of its members during primaries and other nomination processes.
“The new PDP will ensure transparency, fairness, equity and justice in all our activities,” he said. “If you have integrity like Professor Jerry Gana, if you have credibility, if you have a brand built on trust, that is all you need to qualify for the ballot in the new PDP.”
He described Gana as a distinguished figure whose life reflects excellence in academics, public service, politics and family life.
Also speaking at the event, former Information Minister Labaran Maku praised Gana as a model of leadership, lamenting Nigeria’s leadership deficits and calling for individuals committed to nation-building. He said the country needed leaders who would prioritise service and leave a legacy for future generations.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who addressed the gathering virtually, hailed Gana as a man of integrity, discipline and clarity of purpose. Obasanjo noted that although politics often provides cover for questionable conduct, Gana had remained consistent in upholding high ethical standards.
“He is a man of clean ideas and clean behaviour,” Obasanjo said. “Whatever responsibility you give him, he performs it with diligence. If he tells you to teach well, he means it—and if he is the one teaching, he teaches you well.”
