The Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the notion of a caretaker committee arrangement, insisting that the party’s national convention must go on to elect new officials for the party.
The chairman of the BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara, said this in a statement
dissociating and distancing the board from the report of its Reconciliation Committee, which recommended a national caretaker committee in the event the convention could not hold, being circulated in some section of the media.
He said the contents of the said report do not not represent the official position of the Board.
He said it has not been considered or adopted by the BoT, “it cannot in any form or guise whatsoever be regarded as the position of the BoT.”
He added the “BoT is unwavering in its endorsement of the conduct of the elective National Convention as scheduled on Saturday, 15th to Sunday 16th November, 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital for the purpose of electing new set of leaders to pilot the affairs of the Party in the next four years. This position is guided by the Judgment of the Supreme Court which reaffirmed the supremacy of a political party in the conduct of its internal affairs.
“In that regard, the BoT rejects any suggestion for a Caretaker Committee for the Party. Such idea cannot be contemplated as the Board and, of course the PDP, have irreversibly decided for an elective National Convention which is within the scope of the internal affairs of the party to which the courts have no jurisdiction.”
The BoT chairman urged party members to remain committed and focused on the success of the Elective National Convention taking place in Ibadan, Oyo State, between this Saturday and Sunday.
Recall that a six-man reconciliation committee of BoT recommended an all-inclusive national caretaker committee to oversee the party’s affairs following thr legal logjam over the party’s convention.
The committee also cautioned that going ahead with the convention at this time must be subject to favourable legal status and disposition of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It, however, said that INEC wasn’t likely to monitor the convention considering the multiple court orders and judgements on the matter.
This was contained in a report by the six-member committee sighted by LEADERSHIP which was submitted to the BoT leadership on Thursday.
The report was also presented to the PDP governors and other stakeholders at a later meeting on Thursday.
Members of the committee were Amb. Hassan Adamu, CON (North East) – Chairman; Prince Olagunsonye Oyinlola (South West); Dr. Mike Oghiadomhe, CFR (South South} – Secretary; Sen. Zaynab Kure, CON (North Central); Dr. Lubna Gusau (North West); and Chief Ugochukwu Okeke (South East).
The BoT set up the committee in the wake of suspensions and court cases that preceded the national convention scheduled to hold today.
The warring camps, Wike group and PDP governors, have been locked in a legal tussle over the convention, with two Abuja courts ruling for the gathering to be halted, while an Ibadan court gave the party a green light to proceed.
However, the BoT reconciliation team said after meeting with all concerned parties in the dispute, it found out that friction, distrust and lack of sincerity had festered for too long amongst the key players, especially governors and the National Working Committee (NWC) members.
The committee said it met with PDP governors, FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, the members of the NWC, former Senate president, Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
