Former Senate President Bukola Saraki says being friends with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, doesn’t equal support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Speaking Thursday on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the ex-Kwara governor said he operates in the open and “doesn’t do night deals.”
“I’m not somebody that says things I’m not going to do… I don’t… I don’t do things at night, I’m not a night person. If I’m going to do something, I come, I stick my chest out. This is where I’m going,” he told the programme.
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Asked whether the friendship amounts to an endorsement of Tinubu, Saraki replied: “You can’t extrapolate that. My friendship is based on what we are going to do about this party.
“I found his style, his views might be different, but that PDP must not die. PDP must be able to provide a platform for people to contest elections. That, I do not in any way doubt, is the sincerity where he stands, that’s where I stand.”
Although Wike remains a PDP chieftain, he has repeatedly backed Tinubu’s second-term bid—an attitude many in the opposition see as disloyal. At an Abuja media chat in early March 2026, Wike again pledged to support candidates aligned with the president.
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Saraki’s interview comes amid the leadership feud that has troubled the PDP since November 2025. Governors loyal to the party endorsed the 15 November Ibadan convention that elected Tanimu Turaki (SAN) and other National Working Committee members for a four-year term.
Wike’s faction, however, set up a 13-member caretaker committee with Abdulrahman as acting national chairman and Anyanwu as acting national secretary, giving itself a 60-day mandate. After its NEC meeting on Monday, the Wike bloc declared the party stable ahead of the national convention.
Saraki said he backs any move to strengthen the party and legitimise its processes, including the forthcoming convention and primaries. He also urged the factions to reconcile so members can trust the party again.
“If truly we don’t love PDP, we can go to another party to con
