The Former Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has formally stepped down as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing zoning principles and the emergence of a new National Chairman from his geopolitical zone.
His resignation followed the election of the former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, as the new PDP National Chairman at the party’s national convention in Ibadan over the weekend.
In his resignation letter dated November 17, 2025, and addressed to the BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Makarfi said his decision was grounded in long-held convictions about fairness and balance within the party’s leadership structure.
“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 wrote.
“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.”
He added that stepping aside would eliminate any perception of imbalance and promote internal harmony within the PDP.
The former governor revealed that the November resignation was not his first attempt to leave the position. He recalled posting a resignation message on the PDP BoT WhatsApp platform two months earlier, but was persuaded to stay.
“You may recall that about two months ago, I had resigned as Secretary of the Board and posted same on the Board’s WhatsApp platform,” he wrote.
According to him, Wabara personally intervened with a request that he stay on until the party concluded its national convention.
“Mr. Chairman, you may recall that you personally urged me to stay on until after a convention that produced a chairman,” he noted.
Makarfi reiterated that his resignation was not influenced by personal grievances, but by his commitment to equity within the party.
He explained that remaining in office alongside a National Chairman from the same North-West zone would contradict the PDP’s long-standing zoning principles.
“Accordingly, I hereby formally resign as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party with effect from today, November 17th, 2025,” he stated.
The former governor expressed appreciation to the BoT Chairman and other members for their cooperation during his tenure.
“I truly appreciate the very respectful relationship between us during my period as Secretary,” he wrote.
“I also appreciate all Board members for their support and good relationship that prevailed during my period as Secretary.”
Makarfi governed Kaduna State between 1999 and 2007, served as a senator, and has held several key positions within the PDP, including Acting National Chairman during a major leadership crisis in 2016-2017.
