• Picks ex-senator Ohuabunwa as replacement
• Damagum group continues preparation for Ibadan convention
The Wike group in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday sacked the Senator Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) in the latest episode of the crisis rocking the party.
The group named Senator Mao Ohuabunwa as Wabara’s replacement and Hon. Isah Dansidi as Secretary to take over from Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
It said the dissolution stemmed from the BoT’s “loss of moral authority and political neutrality.”
But the Umar Damagum group sought to down play the action of the Wike faction.
It described Abdulrahman Mohammed, who was installed as National Chairman of the rival faction, as an impostor, and insisted that National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, and National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, remained suspended.
It dismissed their moves as a desperate bid to derail the Ibadan national convention.
The Ohuabunwa-led BoT was immediately inaugurated at an emergency meeting of the Wike group.In attendance were the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Second Republic Governor of the old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo; former Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu; Sam Anyanwu; former Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom; Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda and other members from across the 36 states and the FCT.
In a communiqué at the end of the meeting, Ohuabunwa 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,” he 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 come from the North.
The communiqué reaffirmed the PDP’s commitment to unity, discipline, and constitutional order, stressing that the party remains “one indivisible, democratic family anchored on justice, equity and progress.
The new BoT welcomed the October 31 judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja which barred the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the Ibadan convention of the PDP.
The group said the judgment was as binding and superior to any interim order of a state court, in apparent reference to this week’s ruling of an Oyo State High Court, which gave the Damagun the nod to proceed with the convention.
The Wike group asked all organs and officers of the party to comply fully with FHC’s judgment, and commended the judiciary for “upholding the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law.”
It said: “Prudence and respect for judicial processes demand that the proposed National Convention be postponed until the Court of Appeal delivers its decision.”
The BoT also pledged to “serve as the conscience and stabilising moral compass of the party,” and offered to mediate among stakeholders to foster harmony and prevent divisive tendencies.
Earlier, the group’s Acting National Chairman, 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 said 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,” Abdulrahman said.
“The credibility of that leadership became heavily questioned, and its continued role in national advisory matters became untenable.”
Abdulrahman accused 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,” he told them, “but a sacred trust, a call to speak truth with courage and guide the party with integrity.”
Also speaking, 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,” he said.
“Do all you can to bring about peace in our party. Many who left are willing to return if we open our doors.”
He praised Minister 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, drawing 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 communique said: “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”.
Damagum group: PDP poised to elect new officers, forge unity
On its part, the Damagum group said it was on course to hold the Ibadan convention on November 15 and 16.
“With just eight days until the landmark Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) @OfficialPDPNig National Elective Convention on November 15-16, 2025, the party is firing on all cylinders, ready to elect a dynamic new National Working Committee (NWC) and solidify its unbreakable unity as Nigeria’s premier opposition force gears up for a triumphant return in 2027,” it said in a statement on its verified X account yesterday.
Continuing, the party said over 3,000 delegates from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are scheduled to participate in the event.
It said: “This two-day spectacle is more than a leadership transition—it’s a bold declaration of renewal, reconciliation and resilience, positioning the PDP to dismantle the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s grip on power and restore hope to millions of Nigerians weary of economic hardship, insecurity and governance failures.
“This convention will not only install a refreshed NWC but also heal divides, amplify diverse voices, and chart a roadmap to victory in 2027.”
In a separate statement, the Damagum group insisted that Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature and Kamaldeen Ajibade remained suspended as national secretary, national organising secretary and national legal adviser respectively.
It described Abdulrahman Mohammed, Vice Chairman (North Central), as an impostor and illegitimate claimant of the position of Acting National Chairman.
It added: “This decisive stance underscores the party’s unwavering commitment to constitutional discipline and unity as it prepares toward the unifying National Elective Convention, #Ibadan2025, on November 15-16.
“The suspensions, imposed on November 1, 2025, following an emergency NWC meeting, were enacted under Sections 57(3), 58(1)(a)(b)(c)(h), and 59(1) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), citing grave constitutional infractions and actions detrimental to the party’s progress.
“These measures, also extending to Deputy National Legal Adviser Okechukwu Osuoha, remain in full force for one month, with the affected officers referred to the National Disciplinary Committee for further review.
“In view of the foregoing, the PDP has formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of these actions, ensuring compliance with the decision of the NWC which the electoral body has acknowledged.
“The PDP NWC remains indivisible under Ambassador Damagum’s legitimate leadership, with 14 of 17 members standing firm against this charade.
Anyanwu, Bature, Ajibade, and their co-conspirators, including the self-proclaimed ‘Acting Chairman’ Abdulrahman Mohammed, are illegitimate actors whose desperate maneuvers, fueled by personal ambitions and APC proxies, will not fracture the PDP’s resolve.”
