Dr. Bukola Saraki, former Senate President and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reconciliation Committee, has issued a cautionary forecast regarding the party’s stability. Speaking in an interview on Arise TV last Friday, Saraki warned that the PDP is likely to experience additional defections as it strives to reposition itself ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He stated, “PDP would likely see one or two more defections, and we should prepare ourselves for that; there is a possibility. We haven’t seen the worst of the defections for PDP. We would probably see maybe one or two governors who will defect, and we might see some senators who will defect.” Despite this grim outlook, Saraki emphasized that the timing of these defections could be advantageous. “For some of us, this happening early in PDP is an advantage. We are lucky that this is not happening, let’s say, late 2026; we would not even have had time to recover and regroup,” he explained.
Saraki highlighted that with nearly two years remaining before the elections, the party has a valuable window to recover and rebuild. “We have just under two years to the election, and we are lucky to have that. I think, with a lot of commitment and understanding, it is not a lost cause,” he said, underscoring the resilience of the PDP, which has a history spanning over 26 years. “A party with over 26 years of history that has been around, the largest party, we will definitely have low times like this.”
Despite the national-level challenges, Saraki pointed to the party’s grassroots strength. “When you go round the country, the state chapters, the local government chapters, the party is still very strong in the grassroots. In some areas in the country, they are not even aware of what is happening at our level, in Abuja,” he noted. The positive response from grassroots members, he said, offers encouragement, but he stressed the need for deeper engagement and rebuilding.
Looking ahead, Saraki revealed that groundwork for the 2027 elections is already underway, emphasizing that the party’s future depends on more than just resolving current issues. “This is not just about resolving today’s issues. It’s about building for the future. The next convention must not be business as usual. We must bring in new, younger faces who represent the future of this party,” he asserted. Saraki concluded with a stark warning: “If PDP fails, Nigeria edges closer to a one-party state. And that would be a disaster for democracy.”
