Two former Senate Presidents and senior figures in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senators Bukola Saraki and Adolphus Wabara, have taken opposing positions over whether the party’s national convention, scheduled to begin tomorrow in Ibadan should proceed.
Saraki: Convention Must Be Halted
Saraki, in a statement issued after meeting with the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Reconciliation Team led by Ambassador Hassan Adamu, urged the party to suspend the convention due to unresolved legal disputes. He argued that forging ahead would escalate the crisis already troubling the party.
He advised the formation of a Caretaker Committee to take charge temporarily and help restore calm. According to him, the planned convention has been overshadowed by political and legal confusion, posing a threat not only to the PDP but to Nigeria’s democratic process.
Saraki warned that conflicting court orders regarding the convention cast doubt on its legitimacy, stressing that the outcome might not stand.
He insisted that political conflicts cannot be settled through endless litigation, saying, “The affairs of political parties are best resolved with all sides at the table. Legal battles will only heighten tension.”
The former Kwara State governor added that his stance was motivated by a duty to defend both the aspirations of his people and the stability of the political system. He called for a Caretaker Committee to be established within 48 hours to rebuild unity and refocus the party.
Wabara: Convention Will Hold as Planned
In contrast, Adolphus Wabara, chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, maintained that the convention would proceed. Speaking at his Abuja residence while receiving the BoT Reconciliation Committee’s report, he said all key organs of the PDP, the Governors’ Forum, National Working Committee (NWC), and the BoT had already endorsed the convention.
He stated that only a direct court order could stop it, arguing that some existing court rulings contradicted earlier Supreme Court decisions on similar matters.
Wabara dismissed claims that the BoT intervened too late, saying the issues plaguing the party were self-created and fuelled by personal ambitions. According to him, some individuals wanted the party destabilised now so they could revive it for personal gain in 2031.
He emphasized that senior BoT members had no personal political agenda and were focused solely on safeguarding the party’s survival. He reminded party stakeholders that opposition politics is about offering constructive guidance to the ruling party, not simply vying for power.
Wabara also expressed frustration over lack of funding, noting that past reconciliation efforts stalled due to financial constraints.
Committee’s Findings
Committee Secretary Chief Mike Oghiadomhe said the reconciliation team consulted widely; meeting the FCT Minister, the PDP Governors’ Forum, the NWC, suspended national officers, and Saraki before compiling recommendations.
He described the assignment as demanding due to entrenched positions but said the committee’s report provides a practical roadmap to stabilise the party and strengthen its administration.
