Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has urged leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to halt ongoing legal battles over the disputed national convention and instead focus on organising a fresh convention that complies with electoral regulations.
Saraki made the appeal on Tuesday in a statement posted on Facebook and signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Head of the Bukola Saraki Media Office. He was responding to the Court of Appeal’s recent ruling which upheld earlier decisions invalidating the PDP’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025.
“The Court of Appeal has ruled. With the revised timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it is clear there is no time to wait for a Supreme Court decision,” Saraki said.
He warned that persistent litigation risks undermining the chances of PDP members intending to contest in the 2027 general elections.
“If our goal is to avoid jeopardising the prospects of our numerous candidates, then this consideration must be our priority,” he added.
Saraki emphasized that political parties exist primarily as platforms for candidates vying for elected offices and cautioned against internal disputes that could compromise this function.
“One of the core purposes of a political party is to provide a platform for candidates to serve the people. We should not allow internal conflicts to defeat this purpose,” Saraki noted.
He appealed to aggrieved party leaders to set aside personal interests for the greater good of the PDP’s future.
“At this stage, egos have been bruised, but leaders must rise above personal considerations and serve the larger common good,” he stressed.
Saraki underscored the need for dialogue, compromise, and inclusivity in organising a new national convention that would command broad acceptance.
“The only viable option available is to come together, discuss, and work towards an all-inclusive national convention held in compliance with INEC’s guidelines,” he said.
The Court of Appeal ruling, reported earlier by PUNCH Online, upheld the Federal High Court’s decision invalidating the PDP convention that took place on November 15–16, 2025. The court ordered INEC not to recognise the convention’s outcomes, including the election of Taminu Turaki as PDP national chairman.
The disputed convention had also suspended some allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for alleged anti-party activities. Those suspended included National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, Deputy National Legal Adviser Okechukwu Osuoha, and National Organising Secretary Umaru Bature.
The protracted legal battles arose from grievances that the convention violated provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the party’s own constitution.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam ruled that the PDP failed to meet constitutional requirements, noting that no valid notice of the convention was served on INEC and that valid congresses were not held in over 14 states prior to the convention.
The court dismissed appeals filed by Turaki and other National Working Committee members, affirming the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction and ordering costs of N2 million against the appellants.
This judgment marks the first appellate ruling on the contentious PDP convention following months of conflicting court decisions in Abuja and Ibadan.
