Former senate president, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has advised the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elected during the March 29, 2026 national convention to treat last Thursday's verdict of the Supreme Court as a challenge to immediately begin the process of uniting the party and preparing to win the 2027 general election.
Senator Saraki said the outcome also justified his consistent position since the onset of the crisis that the Ibadan convention should not have been held, but that an interim arrangement ought to have been put in place.
The statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, the head of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki media office yesterday noted that his advice was aimed at avoiding prolonged litigation and preventing a reconciliation process that would be difficult and protracted.
The former senate president recalled that he had articulated this position to key stakeholders at various fora and also reiterated it to the committee of elders led by Ambassador Hassan Adamu, the Wakili of Adamawa, when they consulted him.
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"Now that we have all ventilated our views and exhausted the legal channels of expressing our grievances, and the apex court has ruled that the Ibadan Convention is null and void, along with all actions arising from it, while also affirming the Abdulrahman Mohammed Takushara-led National Working Committee as the recognised leadership of the party both in law and by the regulatory authority, the Independent National Electoral Commission, there is now only one PDP.
"We should all unite and work for the success of our party across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory," he said.
He added that party leaders should now focus on rebuilding and repositioning the PDP as a credible platform for both members and non-members.
"Our dialogue should centre on how to rally round, rebuild the party, strengthen it, and make it an attractive platform for those who wish to serve the people and provide good governance to Nigerians," Saraki stated.
He stressed that the focus should not be on winners and losers, urging those who lost in court to see their return to the party as another form of victory.
"As for me and many others, our objective to preserve the PDP as a credible platform for members aspiring to contest elections has now been realised. We are pleased that come 2027, the PDP will be on the ballot," he said.
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Saraki further called on aggrieved members to retrace their steps and embrace unity in the overall interest of the party.
"As of today, PDP stands as the only opposition platform whose internal hurdles have been cleared. Other opposition parties are entangled in disputes that could hinder their participation in the 2027 elections. For us in PDP, the storm is over.
"All leaders and members must now move forward as a united and victorious team into a new phase of peace, stability, progress, and development," he added.
He congratulated members of the National Working Committee (NWC) on the outcome and urged them to prioritise unity, discipline, rule of law, democratic principles, and national development in repositioning the party for victory in 2027.
