Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reconciliation Committee and former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has warned that more members may still leave the party, even as it continues to work on rebuilding ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Friday, Saraki noted that the wave of defections from the party may not be over.
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.”
According to Saraki, the current crisis within the party, while challenging, comes at a time that still allows the PDP enough room to recover. He noted that this early period before the general election is a better time for problems to happen rather than closer to 2027, when recovery would be more difficult.
“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 said.
“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.
“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 turbulence at the national level, Saraki said the PDP remains strong at the grassroots and across state structures.
“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.
“The reactions we are seeing at the grassroots give us a lot of encouragement. But what we need to do is to get to the bottom and start to build.”
He added that the party is already laying the groundwork for the 2027 elections but warned that the stakes go beyond just party survival.
“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.
“If PDP fails, Nigeria edges closer to a one-party state. And that would be a disaster for democracy.”
