Wabara blames internal sabotage for PDP crisis, vows Ibadan convention will proceed

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the crisis currently rocking the party as self-inflicted but maintained that preparations for its forthcoming national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, remain on course.

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

According to Wabara, despite internal disagreements, the PDP remains united in its commitment to reform and reposition itself ahead of 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,” he said.

The BoT chair, however, assured that the party would respect any valid court order that could 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 added.

Dismissing insinuations that the BoT acted too late to resolve the party’s internal rifts, Wabara insisted that the problems plaguing the PDP were largely self-inflicted and driven by conflicting personal ambitions.

“There is no real crisis. What we are seeing are self-inflicted problems. In politics, interests differ, and some people want the party dead now so they can resurrect it in 2031 for their own purposes,” he said.

He reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to unity and the party’s survival, saying his leadership would continue to act in the best interest of both the PDP and Nigerians.

“I am not contesting for anything. Our decisions will always be guided by the interest of the party and the people. The PDP remains a party of the people,” Wabara declared.

Earlier, Chairman of the BoT Reconciliation Committee, Ambassador Hassan Adamu, explained that the committee, inaugurated on November 5, 2025, began consultations immediately 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 have now produced recommendations to guarantee a hitch-free convention. It has been a challenging process, but we have done our best,” Adamu said.

The committee’s secretary and former Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mike Oghiadomhe, said the panel engaged widely with stakeholders, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; members of the Governors’ Forum; the National Working Committee (NWC); and suspended national officers.

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

He disclosed that the panel also consulted former Senate President Bukola Saraki and other senior party figures before finalising its report.

“We believe that we have addressed the critical issues troubling our party. Our recommendations provide a realistic roadmap for effective and sustainable party administration at this crucial moment,” he stated.

The committee submitted six copies of its report, along with annexures containing supporting documents, to the BoT for review and implementation.

However, uncertainty continues to surround the forthcoming convention amid deepening internal divisions.

The suspended National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu; National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; and National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, have aligned with a faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, reportedly backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

Meanwhile, the Damagum-led NWC still enjoys the support of the PDP governors, BoT, and other key party structures, setting the stage for a major test of strength ahead of the Ibadan convention.