Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has advised the Peoples Democratic Party to suspend its planned national convention slated for November 15-16, 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State, citing legal and political controversies surrounding the exercise.
Saraki made the call in a statement via his official X (Twitter) handle on Wednesday night following a meeting with members of the Board of Trustees Reconciliation Conmitte of the party led by Ambassador Hassan Adamu, who visited him to seek his views on restoring peace within the PDP.
The former Kwara State governor described the meeting as โmeaningful and incisive,โ noting that it focused on pressing issues affecting the partyโs unity and stability.
He expressed regret that despite the โselfless and arduous effortsโ of some party leaders to resolve internal disputes, the forthcoming convention had been engulfed in political and legal wrangling, which, according to him, does not augur well for Nigeriaโs democracy.
Saraki warned that the existence of conflicting court orders regarding the validity of the convention poses serious risks to the legitimacy of any outcomes from the exercise.
He said, โAs it stands, there is no assurance that the conduct and outcome of the convention will stand.
โPolitical matters can hardly be resolved through the courts. The affairs of political parties are best settled amicably with all sides at the table. Legal battles will only continue to cause friction.โ
He stressed that as a responsible leader, he could not support any action that might jeopardise the aspirations of party members or undermine internal cohesion.
To this end, Saraki urged the BoT to recommend the immediate establishment of a Caretaker Committee to manage the affairs of the PDP and restore confidence among members and prospective candidates.
โMy advice to the BoT team is that the only solution available to us now is for the party to set up a Caretaker Committee within the next two days.
โThis is the path to true reconciliation and stability of the party. It will also reassure members who wish to contest elections under the PDP platform,โ he added.
He stated that proceeding with the Ibadan convention under the current circumstances would only serve to further fuel the present crisis and amount to a waste of effort.
He added, โIn 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.
โIt 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.
โTherefore, going ahead with the Convention as scheduled is a waste of efforts. It does not have my support.โ
