Former Senate President and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Special Reconciliation Committee, Bukola Saraki, met with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in Ibadan on Monday. The meeting aimed to address the ongoing leadership crisis in the party and reconcile aggrieved members.
According to Saraki, the meeting was part of the committee’s efforts to resolve the crisis and secure a common position among party leaders. In a post on X, Saraki expressed gratitude to Governor Makinde for making time to meet despite it coinciding with his wife’s birthday, wishing her well.
“We remain cautiously optimistic as we forge ahead to secure a common position among the leadership of our great party,” Saraki stated. He was accompanied by former Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo during the meeting.¹ ²
The PDP’s crisis began in 2022 over disagreements on zoning formulas, with some party chieftains, including Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike and his G-5 group, faulting the party’s zoning arrangement. They advocated for the presidential ticket to be zoned to the South, given that the then National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, was from the North. However, the party zoned its presidential ticket to the North, paving the way for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to emerge as the PDP’s flag bearer.³
Saraki’s meeting with Makinde is part of his recent efforts to meet with party chieftains and resolve the crisis. The development comes after Wike publicly announced his withdrawal from all previous peace pacts within the PDP.
