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Convention is suspended –Mohammed
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BoT meeting without me nullity –Anyanwu
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) has set up a panel to reconcile warring members of the opposition party.
The BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara disclosed this in a communique issued after an emergency meeting of the board on Tuesday, in Abuja.
He explained that the six-man panel, which will be chaired by Ambassador Hassan Adamu (North East), with Mike Oghiadomhe (South South) is expected to report back to the board on November 11.
Other members of the panel are Chief Ugochukwu Okeke (South East); Senator Zaynab Kure (North Central); Prince Oyinlola Olagunsoye (South West) and Dr. Lubna Gusau (North West).
The BoT, which lauded the Oyo State High Court for its exparte order, asked the PDP to go ahead with its November 15 and 16 National Convention, expressing support for the Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) and other organs of the party for stabilising the opposition party ahead of the convention.
However, the factional acting National Chairman of the PDP, Abdulraham Mohammed, while briefing journalists, yesterday, said the party has decided to call off the national convention in compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court.
Mohammed noted that while they are aware of the exparte order by an Oyo High Court asking the PDP to go ahead with the convention, an exparte order cannot supercede the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, especially as they are courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
According to him, “we have filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal to seek further judicial clarification and interpretation in the overall interest of our party, our members and Nigerian democracy.
“Consequently, having filed an appeal and in line with our responsibility to uphold the rule of law of the PDP, we hereby suspend and cancel the proposed Ibadan National Convention pending the decision of the Court of Appeal.
“Any continuation with the proposed convention at this time would amount to a violation of the rule of law and shall not be condoned. Accordingly, we have notified INEC to suspend the National Convention in strict compliance with the directive contained in the judgement.”
Recall that the crisis in the opposition party escalated at the weekend with the break-up of the National Working Committee (NWC) into two factions, resulting in suspension and counter-suspension of party officials.
After the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which directed the opposition party to halt plans for its November 15 and 16 National Convention, for not complying with its constitution and other extant rules, the PDP NWC under the leadership of Damagum, last Saturday, suspended the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
Three members of the party – Austin Nwachukwu, Nnanna Amah and George Turnah – had approached the Federal High Court to halt the PDP National Convention scheduled for Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, next week.
The party also suspended the national Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, as well as the Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, for one month, over alleged anti-party activities.
On the flip-side, Anyanwu, after a meeting with other group of NWC members, announced the suspension of Damagum and the PDP Deputy National Chairman, South, Taofeek Arapaja, for alleged anti-party activities, and stated that the party’s National Vice Chairman, North Central, Abdulraham Mohammed, has been appointed to serve as acting chairman.Others suspended for alleged anti-party activities, according to him, were National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba; Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshedo; National Youth Leader, Sulaiman Kadade, and National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyenguikoro.
On Tuesday, an Oyo State High Court, granted an ex parte giving the opposition party a clearance to go ahead with its November 15 and 16 National Convention.
The current crisis is a continuation of the battle of supremacy in the PDP, which has been raging between the governors led by Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, since 2023.
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However, the BoT, in its communique further noted that, “as the conscience of the party, it cannot and will not take sides but remain focused on safeguarding the integrity of the PDP and ensuring dialogue over discord. The decision for reconciliation is not as a sign of weakness, but as a demonstration of maturity and responsibility.”
The communique added that the “BoT reaffirms that the PDP remains a united, formidable and focused political party under the leadership of the Iliya Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC).”
Earlier, Wabara, while addressing members of the board, before the meeting went into a closed door session, said that it is time for feuding groups within the opposition party to bury the hatchet. He urged the disputants to embrace peace not as a sign of weakness but maturity and responsibility.
He noted that no grievance or ambition should supersede the collective interest of the PDP, especially as Nigerians see the opposition party as the platform that could rescue the country from its current state.
According to him, “the tensions, misunderstandings, and regrettable incidents that have played out in public are not reflective of the ideals and character of the PDP. It is time to draw a line and turn a new page.
“As the conscience of the party, the Board of Trustees cannot and will not take sides. Our sacred duty is to safeguard the integrity of the PDP and ensure that dialogue triumphs over discord. The time has come for reconciliation not as a sign of weakness, but as a demonstration of maturity and responsibility.
“No ambition, no grievance, and no factional loyalty should override the collective interest of the PDP. The Nigerian people are watching us closely; they see in the PDP the only organised platform capable of rescuing our nation from the challenges of insecurity, economic hardship, and division. We must not betray that trust.”
Nonetheless, Anyanwu, while reacting to the outcome of the BoT meeting, said the meeting which took place at the Bauchi Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, was not a meeting of the party organ.
He noted that as the national secretary of the PDP, any BoT meeting that excludes him was a nullity, stating that what took place at the Bauchi Governor’s Lodge was a meeting of associates.
He said: “If I was not invited to such a meeting. That meeting is one-sided. As we speak, we have invited the Board of Trustees to a meeting. Most of those people you see today are not members of the Board of Trustees.
“Some of them were just newly recruited. And they have not been confirmed by the party. So, that is a meeting of friends and associates compared to the Board of Trustees.
“I am a member of the Board of Trustees. I’m a member of NEC by my position as the National Secretary of this party. And I am the custodian of the secretariat of PDP. As we speak, the certificate of PDP is with me. So, I don’t see any founding father that would do anything without me being present in that meeting. That meeting is a nullity.”
Damagum, in his address, at the BoT meeting, said the country’s democracy is currently “being dragged through the mud”, noting that the country is also facing a risk of foreign interference and security threats.
Consequently, he stated that what the country needs is visionary leadership, adding that the mission to rescue the country must begin with the opposition party.
He said: “Courage is also what our next National Working Committee (NWC) must possess. Our democracy is being dragged through the mud, and beyond that, we now face the risk of foreign interference and security threats that challenge our sovereignty
“What Nigeria needs now is leadership-bold, visionary leadership-and it must begin with us. We do not have to be in power to begin our mission to rescue, redirect, and rebuild this country. That mission begins right here, in opposition.
“Our incoming NWC must therefore be made up of men and women of integrity, capable of rallying our base, reviving our traditional structures, and inspiring new members across the federation.”
