Bukola Saraki, the former president of the Senate, has urged PDP members to put the party’s interests ahead of personal ones.
In an interview with Leadership, Saraki claimed that outside meddling, conflicting interests, and conflicting personalities continue to pose serious risks to the party’s unity before the 2027 election.
Saraki clarified that the challenges of running an opposition party are very different from those of a ruling party.
Decision-making inside a ruling party typically adheres to a command-and-control framework. However, it’s not the same in an opposition party. No obvious superiority exists. It calls for patience and negotiation, he stated.
He emphasized that the PDP’s leadership structure is made up of people with a wealth of political experience, including past governors, legislators, and other powerful persons, each of whom brings their unique goals and viewpoints.
Although this diversity is a strength, it also causes friction that needs to be handled properly.
In every political organization, disagreements are normal, yet sometimes it’s necessary to put aside one’s own ego. Saraki pointed out that the party, the nation, and democracy must all come first.
Saraki made references to the influence of outside factors on the PDP’s internal dynamics in addition to internal disputes. Rival political actors, he said, frequently take advantage of or even exacerbate divides among the opposition.
There is always an effort to portray all of our issues as self-inflicted. However, the truth is that outside factors can contribute to the intensification of internal problems, he stated.
As he thought back on previous party crises, Saraki recalled the efforts made by party leaders to keep the party united and avoid disintegration. He acknowledged that some disagreements led to legal action, but he insisted that political discourse cannot be replaced by judicial involvement.
“While court procedures may help with some problems, they are not the final answer. Political actors must ultimately go back to the bargaining table to settle their disputes, he added.
