Former Senate President, Abubakar Saraki, has urged leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to “let sleeping dogs lie” by accepting the recent Court of Appeal ruling on the party’s national convention.

The call was made in a statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Head of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office in Abuja.

DAILY POST reported that the Court of Appeal on Monday upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court, which restrained the PDP from holding the Ibadan national convention.

The appellate court dismissed the appeal filed by the faction led by Taminu Turaki, which claims leadership of the party following last year’s Ibadan convention where members of its National Working Committee, NWC, were elected.

In response to the ruling, the Turaki-led group directed its legal team to immediately file an appeal at the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment.

Reacting to the appellate court’s decision, Saraki warned that continued litigation could jeopardize the PDP’s chances of fielding candidates for the 2027 general elections.

“My position is that the Court of Appeal has ruled. However, with the revised timetable by INEC, it is clear that there is no time to wait for the Supreme Court decision.

“Otherwise, we would miss the deadlines for completing the process of nominating candidates,” Saraki said.

He emphasized that the party’s priority should be to provide a platform for members to contest elections, cautioning that personal egos and internal disputes could undermine grassroots aspirations.

“One of the key essentials of a political party is to provide a platform for candidates seeking to serve the people by contesting elections. We should not defeat this purpose,” he said, urging party leaders to adopt a “give-and-take attitude” to accommodate all interests during the election of officers at the national convention.

Saraki further stressed the need for leaders to rise above personal interests, describing this as a “more noble, dignified, and responsible position” that would ensure the PDP remains stable and competitive ahead of the 2027 polls.

He concluded that the only viable path forward is dialogue and consensus-building to hold an all-inclusive convention that aligns with INEC’s timetable, rather than continuing litigation that could stall the party’s preparations.

“The only viable option open to all of us is to sit down, discuss, and work towards holding an all-inclusive national convention at a time that will comply with INEC guidelines.

“What should be paramount to all of us is to adopt a give-and-take attitude that will ensure we accommodate all interests in the election of officers at the national convention. We should let the sleeping dog lie peacefully. There is really no time for continuous bickering and grandstanding,” Saraki stated.