Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to immediately halt its National Convention scheduled for 15-16 November 2025 in Ibadan and set up a Caretaker Committee instead. Mr Saraki offered the advice on 12 November after meeting with members of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Reconciliation Team, led by Ambassador Hassan Adamu (Wakili Adamawa).
Mr Saraki expressed “deep regret” that the Convention has become mired in extensive political and legal controversy, stating that this does not bode well for the party or for Nigeria’s democracy. He told the BoT team that political matters could hardly be resolved through the courts, as legal battles would only continue to cause friction.
The former Senate President highlighted that the existence of “conflicting court orders” regarding the validity of the scheduled Convention means there is “no assurance as to whether the conduct and outcome of the convention will stand.” He stated that going ahead with the Convention would only “serve to further fuel the present crisis,”concluding that it does not have his support and would be a “waste of efforts.”
Mr Saraki made it clear that as a leader, he could not in good conscience be part of any action that would jeopardise the aspirations of his people. He argued that the only solution available for “true reconciliation and stability” is the immediate establishment of a Caretaker Committee to steer the affairs of the party, noting, “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.”
