Former Senate President and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reconciliation Committee, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has warned that the worst of defections from the party is yet to come, but maintained that the PDP remains committed to rebuilding and repositioning itself for the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during an exclusive interview on ARISE News on Friday, Saraki addressed the latest internal challenges rocking the opposition party, as well as the broader state of Nigerian politics.

Reacting to the rumoured resignation of the APC National Chairman, Umar Ganduje, Saraki said, “Either way, clearly something is going on there. Clearly there’s some minor, mild, major upheaval going on. The National Chairman of a ruling party is not ever rumoured to resign unless there’s some trouble.”

Turning attention to the PDP, Saraki acknowledged that defections were ongoing, and more may be expected. “Well, at this time… PDP would see, likely see, you know, one or two more defections. And we should prepare ourselves for that. There is a possibility,” he said. “Maybe Fubara, maybe others… we say, look, the worst is not yet. We haven’t seen the worst of the defections for PDP.”

Despite the cracks, Saraki expressed confidence in the resilience of the party, especially at the grassroots level. “The party is still very strong in the grassroots,” he said. “Some of the grassroots members say, look, I’ve been PDP all my life… but out of the politics, there’s deference to our leaders… That’s what I mean by it’s top, bottom, as opposed to bottom up.”

Addressing whether the defectors might return ahead of the 2027 elections, Saraki stated, “Might not be, probably defect, but there are still some things that are going to happen in a lot of the states before that. This happening early in PDP is an advantage. We have two years to election… and we’re lucky to have that.”

He also dismissed the notion that the PDP is a sinking ship. “It is not a lost cause. A party of over 26 years of history… It is doable. We just have to take those steps one by one to rebuild the party,” he declared.

On the ongoing leadership dispute surrounding the PDP’s National Executive Committee meeting and legal compliance with INEC requirements, Saraki confirmed, “So it’s not going to be a NEC on Monday, it’s going to be a caucus. We’re all trying to just be guided there by the law… What is paramount is the interest of the party that ensures that we are not subject to litigations that would jeopardize our aspirants.”

He also cleared the air on the unresolved position of the party’s National Secretary, saying, “As far as (INEC is) concerned, the person that they see as a secretary, as of today, is Senator Sam Anyanwu.”

As head of the reconciliation committee, Saraki said the team has not failed and is laying groundwork for unity and structure. “Until this point, none of us had accepted any secretary. We’re starting the process of doing the right thing. So if we can address the issue of the secretary, then we can go to NEC, then go to convention, and then hopefully at convention we will have a newly elected executive.”

He also saw opportunity in the ongoing turmoil. “Those that want to leave, let them leave. Maybe it’s an opportunity… those who are staying, clearly they’re staying, they’re very committed. Let’s use this opportunity to start to rebuild for the future,” Saraki said.

Looking ahead, Saraki confirmed that the PDP is already preparing to field a strong presidential candidate. “Exactly. We are thinking to ensure that we have a credible, serious candidate… We’re not yet at home, but we’re laying foundation to make PDP a good and attractive platform.”

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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