Former Senate President and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reconciliation and Convention Committee, Bukola Saraki, has raised fresh concerns over an impending wave of defections from the opposition party.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Friday, Saraki warned that the PDP is yet to witness the “worst of the defections,” citing unresolved internal disputes and elite-driven grievances.
The former Kwara State governor, who leads the party’s seven-member reconciliation team, said while the PDP is navigating turbulent waters at the national level, its support base at the grassroots remains largely intact.
“When you go round the country, the state chapters, the local government chapters, the party is still very strong in the grassroots,” Saraki said.
“In some areas in the country, they are not even aware of what is happening at our level, in Abuja.
“The reactions we are seeing at the grassroots give us a lot of encouragement. But what we need to do is to get to the bottom, and start to build.”
The PDP has remained mired in crisis since the last presidential election, which saw Atiku Abubakar emerge as its candidate. In recent months, the party has been embroiled in leadership tussles, with factional battles intensifying over the position of national secretary.
A recent flashpoint came when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declined to recognise the PDP’s planned National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, citing procedural issues. INEC pointed out that the notice for the meeting had not been signed by the recognised secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
Following a meeting between PDP leaders and INEC, the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, announced Anyanwu’s return as party secretary. However, the decision has continued to stir discontent among some stakeholders.
Addressing this, Saraki identified the unresolved secretaryship dispute as a major stumbling block, warning that continued delay in resolving the matter could further fracture the party.
“PDP would likely see one or two more defections, and we should prepare ourselves for that, there is a possibility,” he said.
“We haven’t seen the worst of the defections for PDP. We would probably see maybe one or two governors who will defect, and we might see some senators who will defect.”
He added that the current crisis as a timely wake-up call for the party.
“For some of us, this happening early in PDP is an advantage. We are lucky that this is not happening, let’s say late 2026, we would not even have had time to recover and regroup,” he said.
“We have just under two years to election, and we are lucky to have that. I think, with a lot of commitment and understanding, it is not a lost cause.
“A party of over 26 years of history, that has been around, the largest party, we will definitely have low times like this.”
Saraki further clarified that INEC’s position on the secretaryship matter aligns with a Supreme Court judgment delivered on March 21, 2025, which affirmed Anyanwu as the legitimate PDP secretary.
He disclosed that the PDP is already laying the groundwork for a credible presidential campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections, emphasising the need for generational change in the party’s leadership.
“This is not just about resolving today’s issues. It’s about building for the future. The next convention must not be business as usual. We must bring in new, younger faces who represent the future of this party,” he said.
