Senator Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, has formally resigned as secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees (BoT).
He cited zoning problems and the rise of a new National Chairman from within his geopolitical zone as causes.
Kabiru Turaki, the former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, was voted as the new PDP National Chairman over the weekend at the party’s 2025 national convention in Ibadan.
Makarfi’s resignation, dated November 17, 2025, was submitted to the BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, from his Kaduna house.
Makarfi recalled that the development occurred only two months after he attempted to depart the post via the PDP BoT WhatsApp interface, which he said was briefly stopped at the behest of the BoT leadership.
“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,” Makarfi wrote in the letter on Monday.
According to him, Wabara intervened at the time and requested him to stay till the PDP held its national convention and elected a substantive National Chairman.
“Mr. Chairman, you may recall that you personally urged me to stay on until after a convention that produced a chairman,” he stated.
The former governor stated that his choice was motivated by a long-held belief that the BoT secretary and the party’s national chairman should not be from the same geopolitical zone.
With the new chairman coming from the Northwest, Makarfi indicated it was time to step down.
“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.
“Now that a chairman has emerged from the Northwest, where I come from, it is necessary to give him full space to do the needful,” he wrote.
He noted that the decision was made to ensure justice and avoid any sense of imbalance in the PDP’s leadership structure.
“Accordingly, I hereby formally resign as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party with effect from today, November 17th, 2025,” the letter read.
Makarfi, who was Kaduna State governor from 1999 to 2007 and has held other PDP leadership positions, commended Wabara and other BoT members for what he described as a positive working relationship throughout his term.
“I truly appreciate the very respectful relationship between us during my period as secretary.
“I also appreciate all Board members for their support and good relationship that prevailed during my period as Secretary,” he added.
