PDP delegates arrive amid Saraki cancellation
By Daniel Ojukwu
The city of Ibadan is preparing for a tense weekend as leaders and delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party arrive for the party’s national convention set for Saturday and Sunday. The event, designed to pick new national officers, has turned controversial because of court rulings, factional battles, and strong moves by Bukola Saraki to halt the gathering.
Even with the legal drama, delegates from across the country continued arriving in Oyo State on Friday, and officials at the venue say the organisation work is nearly complete. The meeting is going ahead under pressure as different camps argue over its legality and the future direction of the party.
Earlier in the week, the PDP National Working Committee suspended three officials for alleged misconduct. That suspension came after an order from the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which questioned whether the party followed its internal rules and temporarily stopped the convention.
Hours later, another ruling emerged from the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, allowing the party to move forward with its plans. The clashing decisions have left members confused and pushed the Independent National Electoral Commission to seek clarity before confirming its attendance.
By Thursday, activity at the Lekan Salami Stadium had intensified. Workers were setting up platforms, hanging banners, and spreading party colours across the stadium. Officials also said the event would be broadcast in multiple local languages to help Nigerians follow the proceedings.
According to party leaders, delegates from more than two-thirds of the states are already in Ibadan, meeting the constitutional requirement for a valid convention. Long traffic lines formed on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway as buses carrying delegates arrived in waves.
The South-West National Vice Chairman said all required conditions had been fulfilled and insisted that “the event will go on.” He noted that only the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja could resolve the conflicting lower-court decisions.
But a different tone came from former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who urged the party to suspend the exercise. Saraki said pushing ahead with the event “will deepen the crisis” and recommended a temporary caretaker committee instead.
He argued that no candidate would want to run under a party weighed down by fresh legal battles. According to him, the PDP must avoid a complete breakdown by allowing proper reconciliation before any national convention.
His comments were quickly dismissed by elder statesman Bode George, who blasted the caretaker idea as “arrant nonsense.” He noted that delegates were already seated in Ibadan and insisted that nothing would derail the convention.
Meanwhile, the faction loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has instructed its members nationwide to stay away. They claim the party must obey an existing restraining order from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama, warning that attending the convention could amount to contempt of court.
They say they will follow every judicial direction and accused the organisers of ignoring key legal warnings. One youth leader allied with Wike said the gathering in Ibadan “will be nothing more than an early Christmas party, not a real convention.”
The crisis worsened when former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido challenged his exclusion from the chairmanship race before the Federal High Court sitting in Dutse. The judge issued another order stopping the party from holding the convention until the case is completed, deepening divisions across the country.
In Rivers State, the split became even sharper. One faction confirmed attendance, while the bloc aligned with Wike refused, insisting that unsettled court cases and disputed congresses made the convention politically risky and legally unsafe.
With the stadium almost ready and thousands of delegates already on ground, the PDP faces a defining moment. Whether the convention proceeds smoothly or pushes the party deeper into turmoil remains uncertain as the countdown continues.