The crisis tearing through the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), if anything, is reaching a crescendo with on Friday the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, announced the dissolution of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara.
The dramatic move, carried out at a meeting hosted by Wike at his Life Camp residence in Abuja, marks a new escalation in the party’s prolonged internal battle for control.
It followed the inauguration of a new BoT by the factional Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahman Muhammad, who accused the old leadership of losing credibility and moral authority.
‘The PDP Lost Its Moral Balance’
In his opening remarks before the meeting went into a closed-door session, Muhammad said the dissolution was necessary to “restore discipline, constitutional order, and moral direction” within the party.
“The Board that was meant to be the moral compass of our party became divided and ineffective. Its credibility was heavily questioned, and its continued role in national advisory matters became impossible to sustain,” he declared.
He cited Wabara’s suspension by the Abia State Chapter of the PDP for alleged anti-party activities, arguing that his position as BoT Chairman had become “untenable.”
The acting chairman also accused the suspended National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, of presiding over what he called “the party’s moral decline and disregard for judicial authority.”
“When any political party begins to disregard its own constitution and laws, it loses the very soul that holds it together,” he warned.
Judicial Backing and Party Rebirth
Muhammad praised the recent Federal High Court ruling that, according to him, paved the way for the reconstitution of the BoT. He insisted that the judgement was not a power grab but a necessary correction.
“The court judgement was not an attack on the PDP; it was a reminder that no institution is greater than the law,” he said.
The new BoT, which is expected to be formally unveiled soon, was described as a “symbol of rebirth” and the “conscience and compass” of the party.
“This is not a reward for loyalty; it is a sacred trust. Your voices must be voices of unity, your advice rooted in fairness, and your actions must inspire confidence in our collective future,” Muhammad told the appointees.
A Battle for the PDP’s Soul
The internal power struggle reflects the deep ideological and structural fractures within the PDP since its 2023 electoral defeat.
Wike’s camp has long accused the party’s national leadership of betraying zoning arrangements and abandoning the principles that once made the PDP Nigeria’s dominant political force.
Muhammad echoed that sentiment, admitting that “the party’s internal decay began when it jettisoned its zoning principle before the 2015 elections, allowing personal ambition to override equity.”
He vowed that the reformed PDP would rebuild itself on transparency, justice, and respect for court rulings.
The drama is an attempt by Wike and his allies to consolidate influence ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly amid disaffection between pro-Wike forces and loyalists of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, hoping to form an alliance with African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The acting chairman vowed that the new leadership would no longer tolerate impunity masked as “internal affairs.” “Party autonomy cannot mean lawlessness. We must reform or risk irrelevance,” he cautioned.
He ended with a call for unity and reform, declaring, “Let history record that when the PDP stood at the edge of the precipice, men and women of goodwill rose to pull it back. Together, we can heal our party and restore the PDP as the true hope of Nigeria’s democratic future.”
Do you think the PDP can still recover, and how, or has the old house of democracy finally cracked beyond repair?
Rate, Like 👍, Comment 💬, Share this article, Follow us on our social media handles, and Submit your own story to get featured and earn rewards!
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
