Ohuabunwa Emerges New BoT Chair

In a dramatic twist that signposts a fresh chapter in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, was on Friday dissolved over what the new leadership described as a “loss of moral authority and political neutrality.”

The decision, taken at an emergency session of the reconstituted BoT in Abuja, attended by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, also saw the emergence of former senator, Mao Ohuabunwa, as the new BoT Chairman, while Isah Dansidi replaced Senator Ahmed Makarfi as Secretary.

At the inauguration, which was attended by party leaders, including elder statesman and founding member, Chief Jim Nwobodo, the PDP leadership vowed to rebuild the party’s moral foundation and restore internal democracy through fairness, transparency, and respect for the rule of law.

Reading the communiqué of the newly constituted BoT, Ohuabunwa said the shake-up became inevitable following the 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, describing it 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 judgement 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.

The BoT also pledged to “serve as the conscience and stabilising moral compass of the party,” assuring that it would mediate among stakeholders to foster harmony and prevent divisive tendencies.

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.

According to him, the Federal High Court judgment was not an attack on the PDP but “a wake-up call to return to our roots and restore the order and ideals that made the PDP the pride of African democracy.”

He charged the new BoT to act as the “moral voice and conscience of the party,” urging them to speak truth to power, defend justice, and promote inclusivity.

“This is not a reward for loyalty but a sacred trust, a call to speak truth with courage and guide the party with integrity,” he said.

In a goodwill message, elder statesman, 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 Wike for his performance in Abuja, urging him to channel the same energy towards rebuilding the party.

In its resolutions, the BoT reaffirmed its dedication to reconciliation and inclusiveness, urging all members to “act with maturity, mutual respect, and shared commitment to the unity and progress of the party.”

It stressed that genuine reconciliation, internal democracy, and adherence to the constitution remain the bedrock of the PDP’s revival.