Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described the 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a decisive moment that reaffirmed the unity and resilience of the opposition party.
In a statement issued on Monday evening, Saraki said the meeting, held amid heightened tensions within the party, could have fractured the PDP but instead became a moment of reconciliation and renewed commitment to its core ideals.
“There was no victor, no vanquished,” he said. “The winner today is the PDP. Another winner is Nigeria’s democracy, because without a vibrant opposition, democracy dies.”
Saraki acknowledged that internal differences had threatened to derail the party in the days leading up to the meeting, but credited the party’s leadership with putting aside personal interests to pursue a collective goal.
He noted that the outcome demonstrated the party’s willingness to “rebuild broken trust” and “give peace a chance.” According to him, the discussions at the meeting were frank but guided by a spirit of compromise and mutual respect.
Saraki, who currently chairs the PDP Governors Forum’s National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee, commended party leaders who, in his words, “sacrificed personal positions” in the interest of peace and stability.
“We have to live up to the expectations of our people as the only viable alternative capable of providing responsible leadership,” he said, adding that the party’s next task is to sustain this spirit ahead of its next NEC meeting on July 23 and the subsequent national convention.
He also rejected what he described as “false propaganda” suggesting that some members are working to undermine the party from within. “If that narrative were true, those who made concessions today would have acted differently,” he said.
Saraki expressed confidence that the PDP would emerge stronger and more unified as it prepares for the next general election, and reaffirmed the party’s role as a credible alternative to the current administration.
“We must now work with even greater resolve,” he said. “There is still much to be done, but today’s outcome shows we are on the right path.”
