Two former Senate presidents and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senators Adolphus Wabara and Bukola Saraki, have disagreed over holding the party’s national convention billed to start today in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
While Wabara, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, said the exercise must go on against the plans of those who he said wants to kill the PDP, Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State, noted that holding the convention amid ongoing legal disputes would worsen the crisis ravaging the party.
A statement signed by Dr Saraki after meeting with members of the BoT Reconciliation Team led by Ambassador Hassan Adamu (Wakili Adamawa), urged the party to set up a caretaker committee to manage its affairs temporarily and restore calm.
Saraki said it was regrettable that despite the selfless efforts of many party members, the planned convention had become mired in controversy, both politically and legally. He warned that the situation poses a serious threat not just to the PDP, but also to Nigeria’s democracy.
“It is clear that going ahead with the National Convention in Ibadan on November 15–16 will only serve to fuel the present crisis. Therefore, going ahead with it as scheduled is a waste of efforts. It does not have my support,” Saraki declared.
He explained that conflicting court orders regarding the convention had created uncertainty about its legitimacy, saying no one could guarantee that the exercise or its outcome would stand.
“As it stands, there are conflicting court orders in relation to the validity of the scheduled convention. As a result, there is no assurance as to whether its conduct and outcome will stand,” he stated.
Saraki cautioned that political conflicts should not be resolved through the courts, adding that the only path to lasting peace is for stakeholders to sit down and resolve their issues amicably.
“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,” he said.
The former Kwara State governor noted that his position stemmed from a sense of responsibility to protect the political interest of his people and uphold democratic stability.
“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 stated.
He advised that the best way forward is to constitute a caretaker committee within two days to pilot the party’s affairs, restore confidence among members and create room for reconciliation.
However, Wabara said the long-awaited national convention will go ahead as planned, despite growing calls from some members for a caretaker committee to be set up instead.
Wabara made the declaration, yesterday at his Abuja residence during the presentation of the report of the PDP BoT Reconciliation Committee.
The committee, chaired by Ambassador Adamu with Chief Mike Oghiadomhe as Secretary, was inaugurated to resolve internal disputes and pave the way for a smooth convention.
The BoT chairman said all major organs of the PDP, including the Governors Forum, National Working Committee, NWC, and the Board itself, had already agreed to hold the convention, insisting that only a court order could stop it.
“It is absolutely practical for us to go to the convention. All the organs of the party, before these individual opinions, had agreed to go to the convention. The Governors Forum, NWC and the Board of Trustees in our last meeting made mention of us going for the convention,” Wabara declared.
