The internal crisis tearing at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reached a flashpoint on Friday as the faction backed by Nyesom Wike decisively moved to dissolve the Board of Trustees (BoT).
The dramatic step, citing a profound “loss of credibility and moral authority,” was immediately followed by the inauguration of a new, hand-picked BoT, a clear and aggressive escalation in the ongoing battle for the soul of the party.
The major announcement came from the factional Abdulrahman Muhammad, Acting National Chairman, during a critical meeting hosted by Wike at his Abuja residence. Muhammad framed the action as a necessary surgical strike to “restore discipline, constitutional order and moral direction” to a party he claims has been crippled by poor leadership. Muhammad launched a stinging indictment of the dissolved Wabara-led BoT, accusing it of losing the “moral balance expected of that noble institution” and becoming “divided and ineffective.” He specifically pointed to Wabara’s recent suspension by the PDP’s Abia State Chapter for alleged anti-party activities, calling his continued leadership “untenable.”
Read also: PDP BoT backs Damagum, appoints Hassan Adamu as reconciliation committee chairman
Further solidifying the faction’s narrative of moral decay, Muhammad also laid blame at the feet of the ‘suspended’ National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum. He accused Damagum of actively protecting constitutional violators and choosing “convenience over the rule of law,” arguing that a party disregarding its own foundational laws risks losing its “very soul.” The Acting Chairman hailed a recent Federal High Court judgment secured by three concerned party members as the critical turning point that allowed the BoT’s reconstitution. He described the ruling not as an attack, but as “a reminder that no institution is greater than the law” and a much-needed “wake-up call” to revive the PDP’s foundational values.
Read also: PDP crisis: 29 State chairmen endorse Damagum’s leadership
The newly inaugurated BoT, set to be unveiled following the closed-door session, is positioned as a “symbol of rebirth” and the “conscience and compass” of the party. Muhammad insisted that the new members were chosen based on integrity and fairness, not simply factional loyalty, warning them that their new role is a “sacred trust” demanding voices of unity and advice rooted in fairness. Looking ahead, Muhammad admitted that the party’s internal troubles began by jettisoning its zoning principle before the 2015 elections, allowing personal ambition to overshadow equity. The new leadership pledged a complete overhaul, promising to rebuild the PDP on foundations of transparency, justice, and strict adherence to court judgments.
The faction’s stance is unequivocal: they will no longer tolerate impunity justified by the excuse of “internal affairs,” insisting that party autonomy must operate within constitutional limits. Muhammad concluded with a rallying cry for unity and reform: “We must reform or risk irrelevance,” declaring that the new movement aims to pull the PDP back from the “edge of the precipice” and restore it as the democratic hope for Nigeria.
