Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has insisted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains a formidable political force despite ongoing internal crises.
Saraki made the remarks on Thursday while speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he dismissed claims that the opposition party had lost relevance.
Responding to insinuations that the PDP is “dead and buried”, Saraki said such perceptions are largely driven by elite political disagreements rather than the reality at the grassroots.
“When you stay here in Abuja, you might say that because of the noise that comes out from the leaders having their disagreement. But when you go out to the states, and you go into the grassroots in different states, you’ll find that PDP is still very, very strong,” he said.
Using Kwara State as an example, the former governor explained that feedback from party stakeholders and grassroots members continues to reflect strong loyalty to the PDP.
“People still have this love and this affiliation for PDP… So yes, there is a lot of noise. But across the country, PDP is still a household name. Is it sellable? It is sellable, very sellable, not only in Kwara, but across the board,” he added.
On internal party matters, Saraki disclosed that although he initially opposed the PDP convention held in Ibadan, he later allowed delegates from Kwara State to participate after assurances that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be present to ensure legitimacy.
He, however, noted that the commission did not attend, stressing that the exercise ought to have been halted under such circumstances. Saraki maintained that his position was guided by principle and the need to uphold due process within the party.
