ABUJA — The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by its Chairman Adolphus Wabara, has formally taken over the national leadership of the party following a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on its prolonged internal leadership crisis.
The development comes just hours after the apex court delivered its judgment on disputes arising from recent party conventions and the legitimacy of its leadership structures. In a statement issued on Thursday, Wabara said the BoT’s decision to assume control was in accordance with the provisions of the PDP Constitution 2017 (as amended), aimed at preventing a leadership vacuum at the party’s national level.
According to him, the court ruling invalidated the outcomes of the party’s 15th to 16th November 2025 National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, which had produced a National Working Committee (NWC) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki. The judgment, he noted, dealt a significant blow to the party’s existing leadership framework.
“Sadly, the Supreme Court today delivered an unpleasant judgment against our party,” Wabara stated. “It pronounced an invalidation of the November 2025 National Convention of the PDP held in Ibadan, which produced the Turaki-led National Working Committee.”
In addition to nullifying the convention, the Supreme Court also upheld the suspension of key party officials, including Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature, and Kamaldeen Ajibade, who served respectively as National Secretary, National Organising Secretary, and National Legal Adviser of the party. The decision, Wabara explained, was unanimous among the five justices on the panel.
The implications of the ruling, according to the BoT chairman, extend beyond the invalidation of the Ibadan convention. He emphasized that all actions taken by the affected officials—including the appointment of Abdulrahman Mohammed as Acting National Chairman, the formation of a National Caretaker Working Committee, and the conduct of the March 29, 2026 convention in Abuja—are now deemed illegal, null, and void from the outset.
Wabara stressed that the court’s decision effectively dismantles both the Turaki-led NWC and the Mohammed-led caretaker structure, leaving the PDP without a functional national leadership body. In such a scenario, he said, the responsibility for steering the affairs of the party naturally falls on the BoT as the second-highest organ within the PDP hierarchy.
“The invalidation of both working committees directly places the statutory onus of leadership of the PDP on the shoulders of the Board of Trustees,” Wabara stated. He cited Section 32(5) of the PDP Constitution 2017 (as amended) as the legal basis for the BoT’s intervention, describing the provision as clear and unambiguous in assigning the body a stabilizing role during periods of crisis.
The BoT chairman assured party members and supporters that the board would act swiftly to restore order and unity within the PDP. He said one of its immediate priorities would be to foster reconciliation among aggrieved factions and rebuild trust across the party’s structures nationwide.
“We will work assiduously to ensure that peace returns to our great party and that all members are brought back under one united umbrella,” Wabara said, signaling a conciliatory approach to resolving internal disputes.
As part of efforts to reposition the party ahead of future political contests, Wabara disclosed that an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) would be convened in the coming days. The meeting, he said, is expected to deliberate on key issues, including the appointment of an interim National Working Committee that will oversee party affairs pending the organization of a fresh national convention.
The proposed interim NWC will be tasked with stabilizing the party, organizing credible internal processes, and preparing the PDP for the 2027 general elections. Political observers say the success of this interim arrangement will be critical to the party’s chances of mounting a strong challenge in upcoming electoral contests.
In the meantime, Wabara directed all staff of the PDP to resume duties at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja under the supervision of the BoT. The directive, he noted, is intended to ensure continuity in administrative operations while the party works toward reconstituting its leadership structure.
The Supreme Court ruling marks a pivotal moment in the PDP’s ongoing internal crisis, which has been characterized by disputes over leadership legitimacy, parallel structures, and competing conventions. Analysts believe the court’s intervention may provide a legal framework for resolving the impasse, but caution that political reconciliation within the party remains essential.
The assumption of leadership by the BoT is therefore seen as both a constitutional necessity and a test of the party’s ability to navigate internal challenges. With preparations for the 2027 elections gradually taking shape, the PDP faces the urgent task of rebuilding cohesion and presenting a united front to its supporters.
As events continue to unfold, party members and political stakeholders will be closely watching how the BoT manages the transition and whether its efforts can restore stability to one of Nigeria’s प्रमुख opposition parties.
