Abuja, Nigeria — Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) don appoint former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki as head of reconciliation committee to fix the party wahala before di upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
The announcement come late on Monday night from Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, after meeting of key party stakeholders at di Bauchi Governor’s Lodge for Abuja. Saraki, wey also be former governor of Kwara State, go lead di seven-member team wey get di work to mend di broken relationships within di party and restore confidence among members wey dey vex as di PDP dey prepare for important national convention and di 2027 general elections.
“We don form dis reconciliation committee, wey get seven respected party leaders, chaired by His Excellency Dr. Bukola Saraki,” Governor Mohammed talk. “Their work be to engage disenchanted stakeholders immediately to make sure sey we get peaceful NEC meeting on May 27 and start work for successful convention.”
The committee get array of current and former party leaders, including sitting governors like Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), and Peter Mbah (Enugu), as well as former governors like Okezie Ikpeazu from Abia State. Dis diverse membership dey show sagacity in di choice of Saraki to lead di reconciliation effort.
Di PDP don dey face plenty wahala since dem lose di 2023 general elections, and di tension don rise especially for di South-south region, where power struggle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike don split di party. Ongoing legal problems over di position of National Secretary and odas national offices don add to di tension.
Defections from di PDP to di ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) don also raise alarm, wey include di recent switch of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa. Dis kind shift dey come with concern over di PDP’s internal stability as lawmakers dey move, citing unresolved grievances.
Governor Mohammed no take di defections lightly, as he frame am as challenges wey go help strengthen di party. “Instead to see dis as weakness, na wake-up call e don become. We dey determined to make sure sey states where di PDP get strong roots no go dey abandoned. Our focus na on unity, transparency, and ensuring sey we go get level playing field during di convention,” he sed.
Saraki, after di meeting, pledge sey him and di committee go do di work with urgency and skill. “Di meeting don show sey di PDP Governors Forum don come together at dis critical time,” Saraki talk with journalists. “Di committee go start to reach out to stakeholders nationwide. Our goal na to make sure sey we get rancour-free NEC meeting on May 27 and set di stage for convention wey go unify di party ahead of 2027.”
Governor Mohammed don also suggest sey APC fit dey take advantage of di PDP’s disunity to weaken di opposition before future elections. “Some forces dey capitalize on di cracks within our party. But we no dey here to hide anything. We go face di matta head-on and restore harmony,” he declare.
As di clock dey tick towards di NEC meeting, di focus don shift to Saraki and him team to deliver di necessary lifeline to a party wey dey search for stability and renewed purpose.
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