Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has called for the immediate cancellation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention scheduled to hold this weekend in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Saraki said the event should not go ahead due to conflicting court rulings that have cast doubt on its legality and credibility.
He warned that proceeding with the convention would only worsen the internal crisis rocking the party.
In a statement released after meeting with members of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) reconciliation team, Saraki said he could not, in good conscience, take part in any process that might further divide the party or endanger the aspirations of its members.
“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,” he said.
The former Senate President urged the party to set up a Caretaker Committee within the next two days to take charge of its affairs temporarily.
According to him, this would help restore unity and confidence among party members ahead of future elections.
“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,” Saraki said.
He maintained that holding the convention under the current legal and political uncertainty would amount to “a waste of effort” and could deepen the party’s internal disputes.
Saraki’s position comes amid multiple court judgments giving conflicting directives on whether the convention should proceed.
While some Abuja courts ordered a halt to the exercise and barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring it, a court in Ibadan gave approval for it to continue.
Despite the legal confusion, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) led by Acting National Chairman Umar Damagun, alongside some governors of the party, has insisted that the Ibadan convention will go ahead as planned.
However, factions loyal to key figures like the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, have opposed the move, claiming they were sidelined in the convention’s preparations.
Saraki, in his message to the BoT, said political issues should be resolved through dialogue, not in the courts.
He urged the party to find a “win-win solution” that would promote reconciliation and unity among members.
The former senate leader concluded by saying that what the PDP needs now is stability, not further division.