Saraki admits PDP turmoil, vows opposition will regroup after Tinubu’s Democracy Day swipe

Saraki responds to Tinubu after Democracy Day speech mocks opposition, admits PDP turmoil but pledges reorganisation to uphold multi-party democracy

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]araki responds to Tinubu with a measured tone, admitting internal strife within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while asserting that the opposition will reorganise and bounce back.

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The former Senate President spoke just hours after President Bola Tinubu used his Democracy Day speech to mock the disarray among rival parties.

Tinubu, in a bold and unsparing address on Thursday, expressed visible amusement over the opposition’s troubles, declaring, “It is a joy to see the opposition in disarray.”

The President further dismissed concerns about a creeping one-party state, saying he had no intention of helping opposition groups “put their house in order.”

In an immediate reaction at the National Assembly, Saraki conceded that his party is currently struggling with internal challenges.

However, he maintained that the PDP and other opposition platforms must take the President’s remarks as a wake-up call to rebuild from within.

“I think we must take him at his words. I mean, he spoke well, saying that he’s not for a one-party state. So we must take him at his word, and he supports a multi-party. So we are all on the same page,” Saraki told journalists.

Reinforcing his point, the former Kwara State governor added, “That’s why we are going around and bringing everybody to come around. So those who say they are under pressure, there is no pressure anymore.

So, we’re all for multi-party, and everybody should get their house in order, as he said, he’s not going to help us, so we are going to sort our own house again.”

Saraki’s response is seen by observers as an effort to shift the narrative from ridicule to responsibility, using the President’s jabs as a rallying point for political self-renewal.

While Tinubu was firm in his criticism, he also disavowed any plan to weaken Nigeria’s democratic pluralism, a stance Saraki welcomed.

The PDP, once Nigeria’s dominant ruling party, has been plagued by factional disputes and a series of high-profile defections since losing power in 2015.

Tinubu’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has benefited from these cracks, consolidating power across several levels of government.

Yet the opposition’s response, led by figures like Saraki, suggests a recognition of the moment.

With elections in view and public discontent over economic and political challenges simmering, how the PDP and its allies manage their internal reorganisation may define the balance of power in the years ahead.

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As Tinubu celebrates 25 years of unbroken democracy in Nigeria, the challenge for the opposition lies not in confronting the ruling party alone, but in regaining the trust and cohesion required to offer a credible alternative.

Oreoluwa Ojelabi

Oreoluwa is an accountant and a brand writer with a flair for journalism.