By Mahmoud Sokoto
Press conference at Sokoto recently.
Reaffirming Hon. Umar Bature’s Unquestionable PDP Membership and Declaring the Purported “Suspension” Null, Void, and Ineffective
We wish to most respectfully inform the good people of Nigeria—especially the people of Sokoto State—that Honourable Alhaji Umar Bature remains a full, bona fide, loyal, and committed member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Any claim, suggestion, or announcement purporting to “suspend” him from the party is null, void, unconstitutional, and of absolutely no effect.
It is important to clarify that this entire controversy emanates from an unverified and factional convention purportedly conducted by a splinter group claiming to act on behalf of the PDP. The gathering was neither recognized nor sanctioned by the legitimate organs of the party.
No decisions—including the so-called suspension—flowing from such an unauthorized and unlawful assembly carry any weight. They lack constitutional foundation, procedural legitimacy, and political credibility.
This clarification has become necessary in view of the deliberate misinformation being circulated by individuals who are either ignorant of the PDP Constitution or are acting out a script designed to tarnish the reputation of a man whose contributions to the party are both historic and ongoing. Their conclusions are groundless, malicious, and incapable of altering the fact that Hon. Bature has never left the PDP, has never acted against the PDP, and remains fully recognized by the PDP at all levels.
Hon. Bature has served the people of Sokoto North/South Federal Constituency with uncommon integrity and distinction. His stewardship in the House of Representatives stands as one of the clearest demonstrations of loyalty—both to his people and to the PDP under whose platform he excelled.
Similarly, during his tenure as the PDP National Organizing Secretary, Hon. Bature served diligently, upholding fairness, due process, party discipline, and internal democracy. His track record of humility, courage, and stability has been repeatedly acknowledged within the party structure and by Nigeria’s wider political community.
It is therefore illogical and mischievous for anyone to link such a personality with anti-party activities.
We state categorically that:
- No organ of the PDP with the legal authority to discipline a national officer initiated, processed, or approved any disciplinary action against Hon. Umar Bature.
- The purported “suspension” violates every known procedural requirement of the PDP Constitution, including:
• Fair hearing
• Proper written notice
• Ratification by constitutionally authorized bodies
• Jurisdictional competence of the purported issuing body - The action is therefore ultra vires, invalid, and unenforceable. It cannot stand in law, in fact, or in common sense.
- Those behind the move are individuals driven by fear of Hon. Bature’s credibility, integrity, and influence—not by any genuine concern for party discipline.
The PDP is a party of rules, intellect, stability, and internal conflict-resolution mechanisms—not a playground for politically desperate actors.
Ironically, it was the leadership maturity of figures like Hon. Umar Bature that helped the PDP survive internal tensions and work toward peaceful resolutions at critical moments of crisis. Without such stabilizing leadership, the party would have faced deeper chaos.
Thus, attempting to label such a stabilizer as “anti-party” is not only false—it is shameful.
Hon. Umar Bature Remains PDP—Fully, Legally, and Without Question
We therefore call on the Nigerian public and all PDP faithful to disregard the lies being circulated.
Hon. Umar Bature is PDP. His membership is intact. His loyalty is unquestioned. His commitment is unwavering.
The so-called “suspension” is a nullity—a publicity stunt without constitutional backing, moral justification, or political legitimacy, emanating from an unverified factional convention that has no standing in the PDP.
We stand firmly with Hon. Umar Bature, a man whose distinguished service continues to strengthen the PDP, Sokoto State, and Nigeria at large.
22nd November 2026
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