By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
Pro Wike faction of the People’s Democractic Party (PDP) has disclosed the reasons why it has to removed the Senator Adolphus Wabara led Board of Trustees of the Party, citing loss of moral authority and political neutrality amongst others.
This formed part of the decisions taken at an emergency session of the reconstituted BoT of the Party which saw the emergent of Senator Mao Ohuabunwa and Hon. Isah Dansidi as Chairman and Secretary respectively.
Dansidi replaced Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
During the inauguration which has the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),Barr.Nyesom Wike and other party leaders including elder statesman and founding member, Chief Jim Nwobodo, in Abuja on Friday, the new PDP leadership vowed to rebuild the party’s moral foundation and restore internal democracy through fairness, transparency, and respect for the rule of law.
While reading the communique, the Chairman of the newly constituted BoT, Senator Ohuabunwa justified the removal based on what he called erosion of neutrality by the previous leadership.
“The immediate past BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and Secretary, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, having publicly taken sides in the ongoing intra-party crisis, could no longer continue to serve in their previous capacities,” the statement said.
He explained that the new leadership was chosen in line with the party’s internal balancing formula, with both Wabara and Ohuabunwa hailing from the South, while Makarfi and Dansidi come from the North.
The communiqué reaffirmed the PDP’s commitment to unity, discipline, and constitutional order, stressing that the party remains “one indivisible, democratic family anchored on justice, equity and progress.
The new BoT threw its weight behind the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on October 31, 2025, which it described as binding and superior to any interim order of a state court.
It directed all organs and officers of the party to comply fully with the judgment and commended the judiciary for “upholding the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law.”
On the planned national convention, the BoT urged caution, advising that the exercise be postponed pending the determination of the appeal already filed at the Court of Appeal.
“Prudence and respect for judicial processes demand that the proposed National Convention be postponed until the Court of Appeal delivers its decision,” it declared.
In his welcome address, the Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, described the inauguration of the new BoT as a turning point for the party, saying the reconstituted BoT marked “a return to the PDP’s founding values of justice, inclusivity, and respect for the rule of law.”
He lamented that under the previous leadership, the party “lost its moral balance” and deviated from its constitutional principles.
“The previous Board of Trustees, led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, sadly lost the moral balance expected of that noble institution,” Abdulrahman said.
“The credibility of that leadership became heavily questioned, and its continued role in national advisory matters became untenable.” He noted.
Abdulrahman accused the suspended National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, of “choosing convenience over constitution and loyalty over legality,” adding that the PDP’s moral compass was compromised by impunity and selective enforcement of party rules.
In his goodwill message, elder statesman Chief Jim Nwobodo, the oldest founding member of the PDP present, appealed to the new leadership to heal divisions and reach out to aggrieved members.
“PDP is like the ANC of South Africa — it is the mother of Nigeria’s democracy,” he said. “Do all you can to bring about peace in our party. Many who left are willing to return if we open our doors.”
He praised Minister Wike for his performance in Abuja and urged him to channel the same energy toward rebuilding the party.
