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Former Kaduna State governor Ahmed Makarfi has stepped aside from his role as secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, insisting that the party must remain faithful to its zoning principles if it hopes to preserve fairness within its ranks.
His decision came shortly after Kabiru Turaki — a former minister of special duties and intergovernmental affairs — was elected the PDP’s new national chairman at the party’s convention on Saturday. Both men hail from the north-west, a development Makarfi said made his continued stay in office untenable.
In a letter sent to BoT chairman Adolphus Wabara on Monday, Makarfi explained that holding on to the position after Turaki’s emergence would run counter to the PDP’s long-established zoning arrangement.
“You may recall that about two months ago, I had resigned as secretary of the board and posted the same on the board’s WhatsApp platform,” the letter reads.
“Mr Chairman, you may recall that you personally urged me to stay on until after a convention that produced a chairman.”
He added that the justification for his earlier move to resign still stands, unchanged and fully relevant.
“The principal reason for my resignation then and now was, and is still, my belief that the national chairman of the party and the secretary should not come from the same geopolitical zone,” he said.
“Now that a chairman has emerged from the north-west, where I come from, it is necessary to give him full space to do the needful.”
Makarfi added that his decision to resign was important to prevent “an impression of imbalance” within the PDP leadership structure.
“Accordingly, I hereby formally resign as secretary of the board of trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party with effect from today, November 17, 2025,” he stated.
The former governor, who served Kaduna between 1999 and 2007, expressed gratitude to Wabara and fellow board members for what he described as a harmonious working environment.
“I truly appreciate the very respectful relationship between us during my period as secretary,” he said.
“I also appreciate all board members for their support and the good relationship that prevailed during my period as secretary.”
