Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has called on leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to accept the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria on the party’s national convention and avoid prolonging the legal dispute.
Saraki made the appeal in a statement issued in Abuja by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu.
The Court of Appeal of Nigeria on Monday affirmed an earlier decision of the Federal High Court of Nigeria restraining the PDP from conducting its national convention.
The appellate court also dismissed the appeal filed by a faction led by Taminu Turaki, which claims leadership of the party following last year’s Ibadan convention, where members of its National Working Committee were elected.
Despite the ruling, the Turaki-led faction has instructed its legal team to approach the Supreme Court of Nigeria to challenge the decision.
Reacting to the development, Saraki warned that further litigation could endanger the party’s ability to field candidates for the 2027 general elections due to the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He noted that waiting for a Supreme Court verdict could cause the party to miss critical deadlines for the nomination of candidates.
According to him, the primary role of a political party is to provide a platform for members who wish to contest elections and serve the people, stressing that internal disputes and personal interests should not undermine that responsibility.
Saraki therefore urged party leaders to adopt a spirit of compromise and cooperation in order to accommodate all interests during the election of officers at the national convention.
He added that the most practical way forward is for stakeholders to engage in dialogue and build consensus that would allow the PDP to organize an inclusive convention in line with INEC’s timetable, rather than continuing legal battles that could derail preparations for the 2027 polls.
Saraki concluded that party leaders must rise above personal interests, insisting that allowing “sleeping dogs to lie” would help stabilize the PDP and strengthen its chances ahead of the next general elections.
