PDP Crisis: Saraki asks Damagun’s faction to suspend convention, constitute caretaker committee

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A former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has called on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to suspend its planned national convention, warning that proceeding under the current conditions would only deepen the party’s crisis and expose its outcome to legal disputes.

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Mr Saraki, who led the Senate from 2015 to 2019, made the call on Wednesday in a statement issued shortly after meeting with members of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Reconciliation Committee, led by Hassan Adamu.

The former senate president advised the leadership loyal to the National Chairman, Umar Damagun, to suspend the convention scheduled for 15 and 16 November in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, arguing that there are conflicting court orders that could invalidate the process and further destabilise the party.

“In summary, 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.

“I made it clear to the BOT team that political matters can hardly be resolved through the courts. Affairs of political parties are best resolved amicably with all sides seated round the table. Legal battles will only continue to cause friction.

“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,” he said.

Since the 2023 general elections, the PDP has been engulfed in a series of internal disputes, with the party now split into two major factions in which one is loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, and the other to Mr Damagun, who retains the support of the BoT.

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The Wike faction, led by the embattled National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, appointed Mohammed Abdulrahman as its factional acting chairman after announcing the suspension of Mr Damagun and his team.

Mr Wike, though a member of the PDP, serves as a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s administration of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a situation many within the opposition have described as anti-party activity.

The emergence of the factional leadership originated from disagreements over the PDP’s forthcoming national convention which is expected to produce new national leaders and potentially set the tone for the selection of the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.

The Wike-led faction opposes holding the convention, arguing that the party failed to conduct valid state congresses, a requirement under the PDP Constitution before convening a national convention.

This dispute led to a court case in which James Omotosho, judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered the PDP to halt the planned convention, ruling that proceeding without valid state congresses would violate the Nigerian Constitution, INEC guidelines, and the PDP Constitution.

A few days after the judgement, A. L. Akintola, a judge of the Oyo State High Court in his ruling on 4 November, asked the party to proceed with the convention.

On Tuesday, the Federal High Court, in a judgement on a suit filed by a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, against the PDP, stopped the convention again and asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to monitor, supervise or recognise the convention.

In response to these contradictory judgments, the Abdulrahman-led faction announced the suspension of the convention until further notice, while the Damagun-led faction insisted it would hold as planned.

Saraki withdraws from participation

Mr Saraki made it clear that he would not take part in the convention under the current circumstances.

“As a leader, on whose shoulder lies the political weight of the yearnings and aspiration of my people, I cannot in all good conscience take or be part of any action that will jeopardise their aspirations,” said.

To restore calm, the former senate president proposed the immediate formation of a Caretaker Committee to steer the party’s affairs pending full reconciliation between the warring factions.

“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 said.

Mr Saraki also cautioned that the party’s instability could discourage credible aspirants from contesting under the PDP platform.

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He said, “It is also the best way to give confidence to our members who intend to contest elections on the PDP platform. 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.

“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 efforts, It does not have my support. It’s not too late to find a win-win solution.”