By Abdulrahman Aliagan, Abuja
Senator Bukola Saraki, former Senate President and head of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reconciliation committee, has promised to bring the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, back into the party’s ongoing peace efforts.
Saraki made the promise in response to Wike’s recent withdrawal from the reconciliation process, which the former Rivers State Governor attributed to the actions of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah.
Speaking through his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki played down fears that Wike’s decision could derail the process. “Wike’s pulling out of the arrangement is not really a setback as you inferred. It’s just an indication that we still need to do more work and intensify more efforts,” he stated.
The former Senate President added that a true mediator avoids immediate public reactions to sensitive developments to prevent misinterpretation by involved parties. “Even in Wike’s first statement, you can see he still acknowledged his position within the reconciliation committee,” he noted, suggesting the door is not entirely closed.
The internal crisis is threatening the success of the PDP’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for May 27. In light of this, Saraki warned of the broader implications of the party’s instability.
“The alternative to PDP is one-party state. The PDP goes beyond party—it is the only legacy party that remains. Out of the three parties that started this democracy, AD is gone, APP is gone. Allowing PDP to die would be a major setback for democracy,” he warned.
To salvage the situation and avoid a potentially damaging postponement of the NEC meeting, the party’s Board of Trustees summoned an emergency meeting in Abuja on Monday.
Meanwhile, sources within the PDP confirmed that Saraki’s reconciliation panel held a crucial meeting with key stakeholders on Sunday night to explore ways to stabilize the party and restore unity.
Despite the turbulence, Saraki remains confident in the PDP’s ability to overcome the crisis and emerge stronger, calling on all stakeholders to put the party’s future above personal grievances.