Verdict: Wabara and Ohuabunwa-Led BoT Factions Clash Over PDP Leadership

The leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated on Thursday after two rival factions of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), led by Sen. Adolphus Wabara and Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa respectively, both claimed authority over the party’s national structure following a Supreme Court judgment.

In a statement issued in Abuja, the Wabara-led BoT announced that it had assumed constitutional control of the party’s leadership, citing the need to prevent a vacuum at the national level after the apex court’s ruling.

The group said its action was based on provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), arguing that the court decision, which invalidated the party’s November 2025 Ibadan national convention, had effectively nullified the existing National Working Committee (NWC).

According to the statement, the judgment also upheld the suspension of key officials including the National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu; National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature; and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade.

The BoT contended that the implication of the ruling was that all actions taken by the affected officials were “null and void,” including the appointment of interim structures and the conduct of subsequent party activities.

It further stated that, pursuant to Section 32(5) of the PDP Constitution, the BoT had stepped in as the “second highest organ” of the party to stabilise its operations, with plans to convene an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

The meeting, it said, would constitute an interim NWC to manage the party’s affairs ahead of the 2027 general elections and within the timelines of the Electoral Act.

“All staff of the PDP are hereby directed to resume at the national secretariat under the leadership of the BoT,” the statement added.

The Wabara-led faction also commended Governors Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde for their support during the crisis and called for unity among party members.

However, in a swift reaction, a rival BoT faction led by Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa rejected the claim, insisting that the Supreme Court judgment had instead reaffirmed the leadership of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee.

In a separate statement, Ohuabunwa said the apex court had validated earlier decisions of lower courts which nullified the Ibadan convention that produced the Tanimu Turaki-led NWC.

He maintained that the Mohammed-led structure, alongside Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, remained the “legitimate and stabilising authority” of the party.

“The legal position is clear: the Ibadan convention stands nullified, and any structure arising from it has no legal foundation,” Ohuabunwa said.

He urged party members to remain calm and united, adding that the BoT would initiate further reconciliation efforts and direct the NWC to set up a committee to reach out to aggrieved stakeholders.

The dual claims by both BoT factions have further deepened uncertainty within the PDP, as competing interpretations of the Supreme Court ruling continue to divide the party’s leadership structure ahead of critical political engagements.