PDP in Paralysis: Saraki Declares Planned Convention a Waste of Effort

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been plunged into a deep crisis, with former Senate President Bukola Saraki declaring its planned national convention a “waste of effort” and urging its immediate cancellation.

The party is now grappling with internal rebellion and conflicting court orders, casting serious doubt on its stability.

Saraki on Thursday called for the party to instead establish a national caretaker committee to steer its affairs and reunite its fractured factions. His statement directly contradicts the position of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, who insists the convention should proceed.

The convention, scheduled for Ibadan, Oyo State, has become a bone of contention between the two factions of the party. One is led by the National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, who maintains the event will go ahead. The other is led by Acting National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed, from a rival faction, who has cited a judgment from an Abuja High Court to announce the convention’s cancellation.

Dr Saraki detailed his position, explaining that he had made his views clear to a BoT reconciliation team that visited him. He expressed profound regret over the party’s state, stating, “I expressed deep regret that, despite the selfless and arduous efforts by some of us, the convention has become mired in extensive controversy, both political and legal. This does not bode well for not only our party, but for Nigeria’s democracy in general.”

He argued that political disputes cannot be settled through the courts and warned that the current path would only cause more friction. The legal situation surrounding the convention remains deeply unclear, with courts issuing conflicting orders. An Ibadan High Court has granted an order allowing the convention to proceed, while a separate case in Abuja has fuelled the opposition to it.

“As it stands, the fact is that there are conflicting court orders in relation to the validity of the scheduled convention.As a result, there is no assurance as to whether the conduct and outcome of the convention will stand”, Saraki said.

He framed his opposition as a matter of responsibility to party members and their political aspirations. “As a leader, on whose shoulder lies the political weight of the yearnings and aspirations of my people, I cannot, in all good conscience, take or be part of any action that will jeopardise their aspirations.”

His proposed solution was unequivocal. “My advice to the BOT team is that the only solution available to us now is for the party to set up a Caretaker Committee to steer the affairs of the party for the time being. This must be done in the next two days. This is the path to true reconciliation and stability of the Party.”

He also warned about the consequences for the party’s electoral future if it continues on its current course. “In the present circumstance, no serious politician with electoral ambition will seek to contest on the platform of the PDP, not knowing whether his or her nomination will be valid or declared null and void.”

In conclusion, he was resolute in his rejection of the planned event. “It is clear that going ahead with the National Convention in Ibadan on 15-16 November 2025 will only serve to further fuel the present crisis. Therefore, going ahead with the Convention as scheduled is a waste of effort. It does not have my support. It’s not too late to find a win-win solution.”

However, the party’s BoT Chairman, Mr Wabara, publicly disagreed with Dr Saraki’s assessment. After receiving a report from the BoT’s reconciliation committee, Mr Wabara told reporters that the convention would not worsen the party’s situation. He indicated that the party’s organs had already agreed to proceed with the convention and would only be stopped by a definitive court order.

“All the organs of the party, before these individual opinions, had agreed that we would go to the convention. You know the Governor’s Forum, the NWC, the Board of Trustees, in our last meeting, our communiqué mentioned our going for the convention,” Mr Wabara stated.

He suggested the party’s troubles were self-inflicted, driven by personal ambition rather than ideological differences.

“As far as I am concerned, there is actually no crisis. You know, in politics, it’s a function of interest. Everybody has one or two interests. The problem is that there are elective interests, which they have to face up till 2031. So, some people want the party dead now, and then they will resurrect it in 2031 for their use. So we know all these things.”

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja failed to deliver a scheduled judgment in a separate case brought by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, who is seeking to stop the convention after allegedly being denied a nomination form.

Commenting on the phenomenon of conflicting court orders, the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Babatunde Adejumo, stated that there was nothing strange in courts of coordinate jurisdiction giving conflicting decisions. He explained that judges deliver judgments based on their understanding of the law and the facts presented before them.

“You see, in the Judiciary, respective judges give judgments according to their understanding of the law and the way they see things. And, you don’t just give judgment, judgment must be based on the facts as presented to the court and, as provable with credible evidence”, Justice Adejomo said.

He noted that such conflicts are resolved by higher courts. “That is why we have ladders of courts. If two or three courts give conflicting decisions on the same subject matter, the aggrieved party may proceed to the Court of Appeal, which will have a better say. If any of the parties is not yet satisfied, it goes to the apex court, which is the final court. And, whatever that court says on that matter settles that issue.”