A factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has declared that the party will no longer tolerate elected candidates defecting to other political parties after securing its mandate.
Turaki, who leads the PDP faction aligned with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, made the statement on Tuesday in Abuja during the presentation of Certificates of Return to the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
His remarks come amid an ongoing leadership dispute within the party, with another faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, also producing candidates for the 2027 polls.
Addressing the candidates, Turaki stressed that the PDP remains supreme and would require all successful aspirants to sign a binding undertaking before their names are submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“As we present your Certificates of Return today, you must understand that in the PDP, the party is supreme. You have purchased forms, undergone screening, participated in the primaries, and emerged either through election or consensus,” he said.
“However, before your names are forwarded to INEC, you will be required to sign an undertaking. What happened in the past will not be allowed to happen again. No one will take the PDP’s mandate to another political party and get away with it.”
Turaki, a senior lawyer, noted that the party had conducted extensive background checks on its candidates to ensure their loyalty and commitment to the PDP.
“We carefully examined the background of every aspirant to determine whether they would remain faithful to the party or seek refuge elsewhere after benefiting from our platform. We found you worthy of our trust, and I congratulate you on your emergence,” he said.
The PDP chieftain also expressed confidence in the party’s readiness for the 2027 elections, stating that it would field candidates in every constituency across the country.
“We can confidently say that the PDP will contest elections in every constituency where elections will be held in 2027. More importantly, we are contesting to win, not merely to participate,” he said.
According to him, the party adopted a deliberate and thorough selection process to ensure only credible candidates emerged under its platform.
“We have conducted background checks and are still reviewing some candidates because the PDP does not want a situation where it wins an election only to lose that victory at the tribunal due to avoidable issues,” Turaki added.
