The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Friday as a faction of the party announced one-time Senator of Abia North, Mao Ohuabunwa, as its new Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, effectively sacking the Senator Adolphus Wabara-led Board.
The decision, taken at an emergency session of the reconstituted BoT in Abuja, which was attended by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, also saw the emergence of Hon. Isah Dansidi as BoT Secretary.
At the inauguration, which was attended by party leaders, including elder statesman and founding member, Chief Jim Nwobodo, the factional PDP group vowed to rebuild the party’s moral foundation and restore internal democracy through fairness, transparency, and respect for the rule of law.
Ohuabunwa, while reading the communiqué of the newly constituted BoT, said the shake-up became inevitable following the erosion of neutrality by the previous leadership.
“The immediate past BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and Secretary, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, having publicly taken sides in the ongoing intra-party crisis, could no longer continue to serve in their previous capacities,” the statement said.
He explained that the new leadership was chosen in line with the party’s internal balancing formula, with both Wabara and Ohuabunwa hailing from the South, while Makarfi and Dansidi both come from the North.
The communiqué reaffirmed the PDP’s commitment to unity, discipline, and constitutional order, stressing that the party remained “one indivisible, democratic family” anchored on justice, equity and progress.
The new ‘BoT’ threw its weight behind the judgement of the Federal High Court delivered on October 31, 2025, which it described as binding and superior to any interim order of a State High Court.
The BoT directed all organs and officers of the party to comply fully with the judgement and commended the judiciary for upholding the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law.
On the planned PDP national convention, the BoT urged caution, advising that the exercise be postponed pending the determination of the appeal already filed at the Court of Appeal by the Amb. Iliya Damagum-led party leadership.
“Prudence and respect for judicial processes demand that the proposed National Convention be postponed until the Court of Appeal delivers its decision,” the communique stated.
The factional BoT also pledged to serve as the conscience and stabilising moral compass of the party, assuring that it would mediate among stakeholders to foster harmony and prevent divisive tendencies.
Earlier, the factional acting national chairman of PDP, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, described the inauguration of the new BoT as a turning point for the party, saying the reconstituted BoT marked a return to the PDP’s founding values of justice, inclusivity, and respect for the rule of law.
Abdulrahman lamented that under the previous leadership, the party lost its moral balance and deviated from its constitutional principles.
“The previous Board of Trustees, led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, sadly lost the moral balance expected of that noble institution.
“The credibility of that leadership became heavily questioned, and its continued role in national advisory matters became untenable,” he noted.
The acting chairman accused the suspended National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, of choosing convenience over constitution and loyalty over legality, adding that the PDP’s moral compass was compromised by impunity and selective enforcement of party rules.
According to him, the Federal High Court judgment was not an attack on the PDP but “a wake-up call to return to our roots and restore the order and ideals that made the PDP the pride of African democracy.”
He charged the new BoT to act as the moral voice and conscience of the party, urging them to speak truth to power, defend justice, and promote inclusivity.
“This is not a reward for loyalty, but a sacred trust, a call to speak truth with courage and guide the party with integrity,” he said.
Also, elder statesman, Chief Jim Nwobodo, the oldest founding member of the PDP present, appealed to the new leadership to heal divisions and reach out to aggrieved members.
“PDP is like the ANC of South Africa — it is the mother of Nigeria’s democracy. Do all you can to bring about peace in our party. Many who left are willing to return if we open our doors,” he said.
He praised the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike for his performance in Abuja and urged him to channel the same energy toward rebuilding the party.
“If you put that same effort into this party, PDP will be the party to beat again,” he said to applause.
In its resolutions, the BoT reaffirmed its dedication to reconciliation and inclusiveness, urging all members to act with maturity, mutual respect, and shared commitment to the unity and progress of the party.
It stressed that genuine reconciliation, internal democracy, and adherence to the constitution remain the bedrock of the PDP’s revival.
“The BoT pledges to continuously uphold its sacred responsibility as the conscience of the PDP by speaking truth with fairness, guiding with integrity, and ensuring that our great party remains a beacon of democracy and hope for the nation,” the communiqué added.
