Saraki Urges Damagun's Faction to Halt Convention and Form Caretaker Committee

Mr. Saraki stated that the contradictory court rulings regarding the convention might undermine the procedure and lead to more instability w...

Mr. Saraki stated that the contradictory court rulings regarding the convention might undermine the procedure and lead to more instability within the party.

A former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has urged the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to halt its scheduled national convention, cautioning that continuing under the present circumstances would only worsen the party's crisis and make its results vulnerable to legal challenges.

Former Senate President Saraki, who headed the Senate between 2015 and 2019, announced his decision on Wednesday following a meeting with members of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Reconciliation Committee, led by Hassan Adamu, in a statement released shortly after.

The previous Senate president urged the faction supporting National Chairman Umar Damagun to halt the convention set for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, contending that there are contradictory court rulings that might nullify the proceedings and cause more instability within the party.

In conclusion, I conveyed profound sorrow that, although some of us have made dedicated and challenging efforts, the Convention has been caught in significant controversy, spanning both political and legal aspects. This is not a positive sign for our party, nor for Nigeria's democracy as a whole.

I explicitly informed the BOT team that political issues are rarely settled in court. Matters concerning political parties are most effectively addressed through mutual discussion with all parties involved at the table. Engaging in legal disputes will only lead to ongoing tension.

"At present, there are contradictory court orders regarding the validity of the scheduled convention. Consequently, there is no guarantee about whether the actions and results of the convention will be recognized," he stated.

Following the 2023 general elections, the PDP has experienced a series of internal conflicts, resulting in the party being divided into two main groups, one supporting the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, while the other backs Mr. Damagun, who continues to have the backing of the BoT.

The Wike group, headed by the struggling National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, named Mohammed Abdulrahman as its factional acting leader following the suspension of Mr. Damagun and his team.

Mr. Wike, despite being part of the PDP, holds a ministerial position in President Bola Tinubu's government under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that several members of the opposition have labeled as against-party conduct.

The formation of the factional leadership stems from conflicts regarding the PDP's upcoming national convention, which is anticipated to appoint new national leaders and possibly establish the direction for choosing the party's 2027 presidential candidate.

The faction led by Wike is against organizing the convention, contending that the party did not hold legitimate state congresses, which is a stipulation in the PDP Constitution prior to holding a national convention.

This conflict resulted in a legal proceeding involving James Omotosho, a judge from the Federal High Court in Abuja,orderedThe PDP decided to stop the scheduled convention, stating that continuing without legitimate state congresses would breach the Nigerian Constitution, INEC rules, and the PDP's own constitution.

A few days following the decision, A. L. Akintola, a judge from the Oyo State High Court, issued his ruling on 4 November,askedthe group to continue with the agreement.

On Tuesday, the Federal High Court issued a ruling in a case initiated by a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, against the PDP,stoppedThe gathering once more requested the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to refrain from monitoring, overseeing, or acknowledging the meeting.

In reaction to these conflicting decisions, the group led by Abdulrahman declared the postponement of the convention indefinitely, whereas the faction headed by Damagun maintained that it would proceed as scheduled.

Saraki withdraws from participation

Mr. Saraki stated explicitly that he would not participate in the convention given the present situation.

"As a leader, bearing the political responsibility for the hopes and dreams of my people, I cannot, with a clear conscience, support or be involved in any action that might undermine those aspirations," stated.

To bring peace back, the former senate president suggested the quick creation of a Temporary Committee to manage the party's matters until complete agreement is reached between the conflicting groups.

My recommendation to the BOT team is that the sole option currently open to us is for the party to establish a Temporary Committee to manage the party's affairs for the immediate future. This needs to be accomplished within the next two days. This is the way towards genuine reconciliation and the party's stability," he stated.

Mr. Saraki also warned that the party's instability might deter qualified candidates from running under the PDP banner.

He stated, "It is also the most effective way to boost the confidence of our members who plan to run for elections under the PDP banner. Given the current situation, no genuine politician with aspirations for office would attempt to run on the PDP platform without knowing if their nomination will be recognized or deemed invalid."

It is evident that proceeding with the National Convention in Ibadan on 15-16 November 2025 will only intensify the current crisis. Hence, holding the Convention as planned is a futile endeavor. I do not endorse it. There is still time to seek a mutually beneficial resolution.

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