PDP crisis self-inflicted, but convention will proceed — Wabara

The Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party has stated that the wave of crisis rocking the party is self-inflicted, noting, however, that the party’s national convention scheduled for Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, will go on as planned.

The Chairman of the BoT and former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the presentation of the report of the BoT Reconciliation Committee.

According to him, the party remains a formidable force and is focused on repositioning itself in readiness for future elections.

“It is absolutely practicable for us to go to the convention. All the organs of the party—the Governors’ Forum, the National Working Committee, and the Board of Trustees—have agreed that we will proceed. Our last communiqué also made mention of it,” Wabara stated.

He, however, noted that the party would obey any lawful court order that may affect the convention’s schedule.

“If we are stopped by the courts, we are a law-abiding party. We will obey the law or obey the last order, as the case may be,” he said.

Reacting to claims that the BoT’s intervention came too late, Wabara dismissed the notion, insisting that the PDP’s troubles were “self-inflicted” and a product of conflicting personal and political interests.

There is actually no crisis. All these problems we have in the PDP are self-inflicted. In politics, it’s all about interests. Some people want the party dead now so they can resurrect it in 2031 for their own purposes,” he declared.

He pledged the Board’s commitment to preserving the unity and survival of the party, saying, “I am not thinking of contesting for anything. Our decisions will always be in the interest of the PDP and Nigerians. The PDP remains a party for the people.”

Earlier, the Chairman of the BoT Reconciliation Committee, Amb Hassan Adamu, said the committee, inaugurated on November 5, 2025, immediately began consultations with key stakeholders to ensure a smooth and credible convention.

“We have spoken to various segments of our party—the leaders, the Governors’ Forum, and others—and we have now come up with our recommendations for a hitch-free convention. It has been a challenging task, but we have done our best,” Adamu said.

Presenting the report, Secretary of the Committee and former Chief of Staff to the President Goodluck Jonathan, Mike Oghiadomhe, disclosed that the panel held extensive engagements with major stakeholders, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, members of the Governors’ Forum, the NWC, and suspended national officers.

“We met with the Minister of the FCT, the Governors’ Forum, and the NWC led by the Deputy National Chairman in the absence of Ambassador Damagum. We also met with the suspended National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu, the National Organising Secretary, and the National Legal Adviser,” Oghiadomhe said.

He added that the committee also consulted former Senate President Bukola Saraki and other senior party figures before compiling its report and recommendations.

We believe that we have addressed all the key issues troubling our party. Our recommendations provide a clear roadmap for sustainable and effective party administration at this critical time,” he concluded.

Six copies of the reconciliation report, along with annexures containing supporting documents, were submitted to the BoT.

The board is expected to deliberate on the recommendations and chart the next course of action ahead of the PDP’s much-anticipated convention, where new leaders will emerge.

The convention is facing an uncertain fate owing to the division in the party.

Although the party National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu; National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade and National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, remain suspended, the trio are the architects of a new faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed.

This group is backed by the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike.

The Damagum-led NWC is banking on the support of the governors, the BoT and other organs of the party.

Culled from punch