Former Senate President and ex-Kwara State governor, Dr Bukola Saraki, has weighed in on the lingering crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisting the party’s turmoil is not new or unmanageable. He reiterated that the Ibadan convention lacked legitimacy and deepened divisions that could have been avoided with a caretaker arrangement. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, monitored by David Lawani, Saraki confirmed he will attend the PDP National Convention on March 29–30, while reaffirming his support for zoning as a tool for fairness and inclusion
Are you willing to apologise to Nigerians, or do you accept any responsibility for the crisis in the PDP? Why has reconciliation not yet succeeded?
No at all. In a way, the greatest humility is that what we see now would have happened a long time ago. We kept it together for months after the reconciliation committee. To keep all the forces together. It was unfortunate that we broke apart before the Ibadan convention. But before then, we had this issue. And throughout the reconciliation committee has been keeping it together. We had challenges. People thought we would not be able to keep it together. We will not be able to have an NEC meeting. We will not be able to sit together and hold an NEC meeting. We will not be able to bring the governors together. And throughout that period, my committee and those who worked with me. We kept it up to the last point, which was just before the convention. Leading up to that, over the weeks and months, we have done a lot of work. We are the last opposition party to have stayed together without splitting into factions. We have avoided it and all the bobby traps on the way. We kept meeting, reconciling, and coming together. Many of the meetings I mediated differently. We met with governors, former governors, and we tried to bring everybody together. We try to build confidence. And we did our best. And even the last one. The Vice I alluded to and screamed about that time. To say, look, don’t let us lose this convention. Let us have a caretaker committee.
So, you were opposed to the Ibadan convention?
A special committee was set up at that time, led by one of our elder politicians. They came and saw it. Mike Oghiadomhe was part of it. And I told them. My advice was that we should not go to that convention. We should have a caretaker committee. It was clear that this was the best solution for us. And if we had done that, we would have avoided this issue for different reasons. We can win it when the atmosphere is calm. Then we can all go. But unfortunately, they did not heed the advice.
What specifically made you advice against going to Ibadan?
Because we had not fully reconciled, the purpose of going to Ibadan was to have everyone on board agree on what we would do when we got there. And we met all the criteria that were being demanded. There are issues in some states that have not been addressed in Congress. And we need to do it. There was the issue of the zone, how it should be a zone. Going to the convention should be an affirmation. We should have resolved it behind the scenes.
Should your reconciliation committee take some responsibility for not settling disputes ahead of the convention? What went wrong?
They depended on you to reconcile the warring parties. So what happened? We said, “Don’t go to Ibadan. Don’t go to that convention. There was no point in going to it. Instead of the convention, let us form a caretaker committee. If we had done that, we wouldn’t have had the crisis.
When you advised against going to Ibadan, whose interests were you protecting?
It was in the party’s interest. You see, politicians and some people think differently. What was best for the party was to avoid what came out of Ibadan. People were not in court. There were no such court cases in different parts of the country.
Governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed led the Ibadan convention. Were you able to speak with them, and did they understand your objections?
We did our best and advised that Ibadan should not take place. It was not in the party’s best interest.
Were all key stakeholders properly consulted before the decision to hold the Ibadan convention?
They were convinced that that was the solution at that time. And it was not. I was not the only one who had that position. Even the committee that was set up, a board of trustees, also in their recommendations, suggested that they should not do that. The report was not considered because it was not in line with those who had committed the act, who were going to Ibadan. Where we are today, we are still trying to bring people to the fold. I don’t think I want to bask in who got it right or who didn’t. Certain mistakes were made. But where we are now, how do we ensure that PDP remains available as a platform for those who want to contest elections? And to do that, we have to continue the reconciliation process, and I tried as much as possible not to blame anybody when you are trying to arbitrate. Your duty is to bring people together. Even people have to point out mistakes, no matter how much you hate it. That doesn’t help peace and unity. The point I am making is that there is no doubt about it that, without hard lessons, we would not be where we are today. We should labour for what is ahead of us.
Despite opposing Ibadan, you sent delegates. Were you balancing interests, or what guided that decision?
We said, “Don’t go to Ibadan,” and now they’re telling us INEC will be there. At the same time, it was going to be an exercise in futility. You are going to have a convention that you will come out of that will not have the legitimate power to carry on further. I was assured that INEC would be there. To show I am not on this side or that side. I am standing for what is good for the party. It was already explained to us that Ibadan was not an option, which was the reality. We said okay. We will give you the benefit of time if you claim with assurance that INEC will conduct the primaries. We told our delegates from Kwara. Let us show good faith. Go to Ibadan, and if INEC is there for the convention, go ahead and vote. If they are not going to be there and you didn’t see them there, don’t vote. That action truly shows no vested interest. It was interesting to do the right thing. And of course, INEC were not there. And that was an opportunity for us to pull back again. INEC not being there is an exercise in futility. They didn’t do the elective convention but came back. It has happened now. We are where we are. Here is another opportunity. The key things to us in the PDP are: let us create a platform where people who want to contest elections will have the opportunity.
Why do some people think you are going to join the ADC?
No.
Many question your loyalty to PDP. How do you respond?
My antecedents and political career show that I am not a follower. I lead, and I am very clear on where I stand. I am not someone who says something in the afternoon and then changes in the evening. I believe in what I stand for and take whatever comes with it. I have shown it. Whether I was the Senate President or governor, if I were going somewhere, you would know about it. The quietness may be unlike in 2023, as I contested for President in 2019. And come 2027, I agree with the principle, I will stand by the principle because I was part of it. See, 2027, leave it to the south to finish eight years. That loud activity may give a wrong impression when ADC starts. I was not part of it. I made it clear that I would not be there. And ditto, those suggestions. I was going to join APC. I also made it clear that I will stay here in PDP. So, clearly, that is where I am. So you will be attending the national convention? Yes, I will. And all lovers of the party should attend the convention. For that purpose, this is the avenue.
Some, like Senator Seriake Dickson, claim PDP is dead. Do you agree?
When you stay in Abuja, it is easy because of the noise that comes from the environment.
