The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is heading into what may be the most contentious national convention in its 26-year history, as two former Senate Presidents, Adolphus Wabara and Bukola Saraki, stand sharply opposed on whether the gathering billed for November 15–16 in Ibadan should go ahead.
With conflicting court orders, factional divisions, and an anxious delegation already trooping into the Oyo State capital, the main opposition party appears locked in a battle for its political soul.
Saraki: “Convention Will Deepen Crisis, Create Legal Chaos”
Former Senate President and Chair of the PDP National Reconciliation Committee, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has urged the party to suspend the convention immediately and establish a Caretaker Committee within 48 hours to stabilise the party.
In a statement issued after meeting with the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Reconciliation Team in Abuja, Saraki warned that the party risked plunging itself into “irreversible damage” if it proceeded.
“It is clear that going ahead with the National Convention in Ibadan will only fuel the present crisis. It does not have my support,” Saraki declared.
He cited conflicting court judgments—some restraining the convention, others permitting it—as evidence that the legality of the exercise cannot be guaranteed.
“As it stands, conflicting court orders cast serious doubt on whether the conduct and outcome of the convention will stand,” he said, stressing that political disputes should be resolved through dialogue, not litigation.
Saraki added that his stance was driven by responsibility to protect the political aspirations of his supporters:
“I cannot in good conscience be part of any action that will jeopardise their aspirations.”
He warned that credible aspirants would not risk contesting under a platform whose legal standing is uncertain.
Wabara: “Convention Must Hold — Only a Court Can Stop It”
But PDP BoT Chairman and former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, insists the convention will proceed as scheduled.
Speaking in Abuja during the presentation of the PDP BoT Reconciliation Committee report, Wabara said all critical party organs — the Governors’ Forum, National Working Committee (NWC), and the BoT — had agreed to go ahead.
“It is absolutely practical for us to go to the convention. All organs of the party agreed before individual opinions started coming up,” Wabara said.
He described the party’s challenges as “self-inflicted”, driven by leaders with electoral ambitions already mapped out “up to 2031.”
Wabara also criticised recent court rulings halting the convention, claiming some contradict Supreme Court precedents.
“You don’t make all kinds of orders when the Supreme Court has deliberated on a matter. As far as the organs of the party are concerned, the convention will hold.”
Ibadan on Edge as Delegates Arrive Despite Legal Uncertainty
On Thursday, IwitnessLive observed intense preparations at the Lekan Salami Stadium, where the event is scheduled to take place. Flags were up, stages under construction, and security deployments underway.
Over 3,000 delegates from at least 24 states have already arrived or confirmed attendance, according to Kamorudeen Ajisafe, PDP National Vice Chairman (South-West).
Ajisafe insisted the party had met all INEC requirements and dismissed fears over conflicting court orders:
“When courts of equal jurisdiction issue conflicting orders, none is binding. Only a superior court can give direction.”
However, an INEC official told IwitnessLive that the commission’s legal team was still reviewing the judgments and would “decide before the convention begins” whether to attend.
The conflicting positions of these two party statesmen come against the backdrop of a chaotic legal landscape. Within the last week alone, the PDP has been buffeted by a barrage of conflicting court orders. Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, halted the convention on the grounds that the PDP failed to follow its own rules, particularly regarding the proper signing of convention notices submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Justice Peter Lifu also ruled in favour of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, restraining the party from holding the convention after Lamido alleged that he was unlawfully excluded from contesting for the national chairmanship.
However, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court issued a contrary order directing the PDP to proceed with the convention, thereby reopening the path for the NWC to continue its preparations. This back-and-forth has left INEC in a precarious position, with officials confirming that the commission’s legal team is reviewing the situation before deciding whether or not to monitor the convention. A final decision is expected before the opening session.
Meanwhile, Ibadan is already buzzing with activity. By Thursday, the Lekan Salami Stadium, the planned venue of the convention, had begun to take shape as workers installed massive stages, party flags, and decorations. Over 3,000 delegates are expected to attend, and more than two-thirds of states have reportedly confirmed their participation—meeting the constitutional requirement for a valid convention. Delegates from across the country have begun arriving, some by road, some by air, despite the logistical challenges posed by heavy traffic along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The Oyo State Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, was seen inspecting progress at the venue on Thursday, alongside other sub-committee officials who claimed preparations were approximately 60 percent complete.
Still, not everyone is on their way to Ibadan. The faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has taken the opposite stand, warning members to stay away from what they describe as an illegal convention. Mohammed AbdulRahman, the factional chairman of the party, told delegates nationwide to obey the court orders halting the event and avoid participating in what he called a “purported convention.” Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, the faction’s BoT chairman, also insisted that any gathering held in defiance of the court rulings remains illegitimate. In contrast, the Rivers State PDP remains split down the middle, with one faction pledging to attend while the group aligned with Wike says they will boycott the event.
Adding fuel to the fire, elder statesman and former BoT chairman, Chief Bode George, blasted Saraki’s suggestion for a caretaker committee, describing it as “arrant nonsense.” He maintained that the convention would proceed as planned and criticized those who he believed were trying to derail the party at a critical moment. George insisted that opponents of the convention were free to leave the party if they wished, asserting that the PDP’s founding fathers would be “turning in their graves” at the level of internal sabotage taking place.
As all sides dig in, what should have been a routine political gathering has spiralled into a dramatic showdown that threatens to reshape the PDP’s identity, unity, and readiness for the 2027 general elections. At issue is not simply whether a convention should hold, but which faction will emerge as the legitimate face of Nigeria’s largest opposition party.
The next 48 hours in Ibadan may determine the future of the PDP—either as a single, coherent political force or as a party splintered beyond repair.
