A former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kebbi State, Mallam Haruna D Saidu has dismissed as a mischief the opposition of the state’s incumbent Publicity Secretary of the party, Sani Dododo to the nomination of former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN as the consensus candidate for the national chairmanship position.
Saidu, who is also an immediate past member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), expressed “utter dismay” at Dododo over his purported rejection of Turaki’s endorsement as the consensus Northern candidate for the PDP national chairman’s position.
Recall that the Kebbi PDP State Publicity Secretary, Dododo, had announced at a press conference on Saturday that the party in the state had distanced itself from Turaki’s endorsement as the Northern consensus candidate for the national chairmanship position.
He had expressed the Kebbi State PDP’s opposition to Turaki’s endorsement, claiming the party was not consulted and therefore opposed to the consensus nomination of the former Minister by Northern PDP Governors and other stakeholders.
But the former Kebbi State chairman of the PDP, Saidu, in a statement entitled, “Dododo’s Hatchet Job: A Desperate Attempt to Smear Kabiru Turaki’s Reputation,” said the outbursts of Dododo, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP in Kebbi State, after years of virulent opposition to the party and its leaders, were not surprising because “Nothing could be more mischievous, unfounded, and reflective of his trademark character assassination antics.”
He described the Kebbi State PDP publicity secretary as a mole planted in the party “to sow discord, spread falsehood, and undermine genuine party cohesion.”
Saidu noted that Dododo was well-known in Kebbi politics for stirring unnecessary controversy and running down decent party leaders, adding, “While in the APC, he disparaged respected PDP elders such as Dr Bello Halliru Mohammed and several other party stalwarts. Today, after opportunistically crossing over, he is again deploying the same poisonous tactics against those who have laboured for decades to keep the PDP strong and united in Kebbi and across the North.”
He described the Kebbi State PDP publicity secretary’s opposition to Turaki’s consensus nomination for the party’s national chairmanship position as “a classic case of an undertaker at work.”
“Dododo seeks to paint Turaki as a “rejected stone” in Kebbi politics when, in reality, Turaki remains the party’s most consistent financier and stabilising figure in the state for over twenty years. Such a malicious statement cannot stand the test of truth or integrity,” he added.
The former Kebbi State PDP chairman stressed that contrary to Dododo’s claim, Turaki and former acting national chairman, Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed as well as other eminent personalities, have been the pillars behind the PDP in Kebbi State, who “have stood firm (gidigba)in defence of the party’s ideals even in its most trying moments.”
Saidu therefore stated that it is the height of delusion for a man whose political history is marked by betrayals, failed alliances, and a desperate search for relevance to claim to speak for the PDP in Kebbi State.
He stressed that the Kebbi PDP publicity secretary’s reckless comments did not represent the will or reflect the position of the party in the state, adding, “They are nothing but the personal hallucinations of a man seeking to validate his newfound assignment as a spoiler and hatchet man.”
Saidu reminded the Kebbi PDP publicity secretary that politics is about service, sacrifice, and loyalty, “virtues he has consistently failed to demonstrate,” noting that “his outburst against Turaki betrays frustration and fear of irrelevance. Having found no foothold in the APC and ADC, he now hides under the PDP umbrella to settle old scores and curry favour from those threatened by Turaki’s rising national profile.”
The former Kebbi PDP chairman maintained that the endorsement of Turaki, who is one of the most respected politicians in the region who has consistently exhibited character, intellect, and proven leadership, by the Northern stakeholders for the PDP national chairmanship was in recognition of his long-standing commitment, national appeal and unmatched record of service to the party, rather than being accidental or controversial.
“Therefore, Dododo’s statement is not only hollow but also inconsequential. It cannot diminish Turaki’s towering image or the collective resolve of the PDP faithful who stand solidly behind him. The Kebbi PDP family rejects Dododo’s divisive antics and calls on all members to ignore the rantings of a frustrated political itinerant,” he added.
Saidu assured that the PDP in Kebbi State remained united under its tested leaders and “will not be distracted by agents of confusion masquerading as party loyalists.”
