Ogona Anita
A former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has urged leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party to end ongoing legal battles over the party’s disputed national convention and move swiftly to organise a fresh one in line with electoral guidelines.
Saraki made the call on Tuesday in a statement issued by the Head of the Bukola Saraki Media Office, Yusuph Olaniyonu, while reacting to the judgment of the Court of Appeal which upheld earlier rulings nullifying the PDP national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025.
The former Kwara State governor said the party should accept the court’s verdict and focus on conducting a new national convention in line with the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to him, prolonging the legal battle could jeopardise the chances of party members seeking to contest elections on the PDP platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said, “My own position is that the Court of Appeal has ruled. However, with the revised timetable by INEC, it is obvious that there is no time to wait for the Supreme Court decision.
“If our motive is to ensure that we do not jeopardise the chances of our numerous members who want to contest elections on our platform, then this consideration should be the priority of all of us in the party.”
Saraki noted that political parties exist primarily to provide platforms for candidates seeking elective offices and should not allow internal disputes to undermine that objective.
“One of the key essentials of a political party is to provide a platform for candidates seeking to serve the people by contesting elections. We should not defeat this purpose,” he said.
He also urged aggrieved leaders within the party to set aside personal interests and focus on the collective future of the PDP.
“At this stage, egos have been bruised. However, leaders should rise above personal interests and serve the larger common good,” he added.
Saraki further emphasised the need for dialogue and compromise among party stakeholders to ensure an all-inclusive national convention capable of producing widely accepted leadership for the party.
“The only viable option open to all of us is to sit down, discuss, and work towards holding an all-inclusive national convention at a time that will comply with INEC guidelines,” he said.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had earlier upheld the decisions of the Federal High Court which invalidated the PDP national convention held in Ibadan between November 15 and 16, 2025.
In its judgment, the appellate court barred INEC from recognising the outcome of the convention, including the emergence of Taminu Turaki as the party’s national chairman.
The convention had also produced a new National Working Committee and suspended some allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over alleged anti-party activities.
Those suspended included the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; the Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; and the National Organising Secretary, Umaru Bature.
The dispute followed multiple court cases filed by aggrieved party members who argued that the convention violated provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act and the PDP constitution.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam held that the party failed to comply with constitutional requirements before conducting the convention.
The court noted that no valid notice of the convention was served on INEC as required by law and that valid congresses were not conducted in more than 14 states before the convention was held.
The appellate court also dismissed appeals filed by Turaki and other members of the National Working Committee, affirming that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The court further awarded N2m in costs against the appellants.
