Jibrin steps down as PDP appoints Wabara BoT acting chairman

The opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has named Adolphus Wabara as acting chairman of the board of its trustees.

Wabara, a former Senate president, takes over from Walid Jibrin, who stepped down as the BoT chairman on Thursday.

Jibrin made the announcement on Thursday at a closed-door meeting of the BoT at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

Jibrin has held the position for six years after taking over from Haliru Bello who was removed in 2016.

The resignation and appointment of the new BoT chairman comes after weeks of protests within the PDP over loopsidedness of key positions in the party.

Agrrieved PDP members said other regions of the country are marginalised in the party, stating that Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the party, is from Adamawa (north-east); Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the party, is from Benue (north-central); and Jibrin hails from Nasarawa (north-central).

The calls for resharing key positions were initiated by PDP members and allies of Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike who was opposed to a northern presidential candidate for the 2023 election after an eight-year tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner from Katsina State.

Wike’s camp specifically wants the PDP chairman to resign his position for an even sharing of positions in PDP.

Despite protests seeking his resignation, Ayu insists that he is holding an elective position as PDP chairman in accordance to the party consitution.

“I was voted as PDP national chairman to serve for four years, I am not even a year old on the position,” Ayu said in an interview with BBC Hausa.

“Atiku’s victory at the national primaries has no nothing to do with the party’s leadership; I was the bonafide winner of the election. We acted within the dictates of the PDP constitution.

“I have not violated any rules; in fact, I am working to bring reforms to the party. I am truly not bothered by the unnecessary controversy being generated.”