Ibadan Convention Holds as PDP Delegates Arrive Despite Saraki’s Cancellation Call

Delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party have started arriving in Ibadan for the party’s scheduled national convention, moving ahead with preparations even as Bukola Saraki pushes for the exercise to be halted.

The build-up to the event has exposed fresh internal disagreements within the party. 

Saraki, a former Senate President, has asked the acting leadership to suspend the gathering, arguing that going ahead could worsen existing cracks within the PDP. 

He insisted that the convention did not have his backing and warned that proceeding could undermine unity at a critical moment for the opposition.

According to Punch, however, organisers in Ibadan have continued with logistical arrangements. 

Party insiders said delegates from several zones were already in the Oyo State capital as of Friday, stressing that postponing the event at this stage would be unrealistic. 

One senior party official, who was involved in the preparations, explained that “delegates have invested time and resources to be here, and reversing the plan now would only create more confusion.”

Several PDP stakeholders have also dismissed Saraki’s position, insisting that internal consultations had been ongoing for weeks and that the convention was meant to strengthen the party’s structure rather than deepen divisions. 

Another party chieftain noted that “this convention is a statutory process, not a factional event, and nothing stops the PDP from holding it.”

Despite the tension, there is no official indication that the acting national leadership intends to halt proceedings. 

The event is expected to address organisational matters and set the tone for the party’s political strategy heading into the coming year.

The convention’s outcome may influence the PDP’s internal balance of power, particularly as the opposition works to regain relevance nationally. 

How the party manages Saraki’s pushback, alongside the determination of delegates already on ground, will shape the narrative emerging from Ibadan in the days ahead.