PDP Crisis Worsen As Legality Of BoT Decisions Questioned

As the internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues, party stakeholders remain divided over the legality of its current Board of Trustees (BoT).

While some members have questioned the legitimacy of meetings held by the PDP BoT leadership—arguing that its tenure has expired—others believe the current members have the right to oversee certain affairs of the party, especially in times of crisis.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that 85 out of 127 BoT members have been absent from the board’s activities. Reports indicate that the opposition party’s BoT has been conducting meetings and making decisions without forming a quorum, a move that some party members argue violates the PDP constitution.

A senior member of the PDP National Working Committee, speaking anonymously due to a lack of authorization, insisted that 42 statutory members should not be making decisions on behalf of the BoT.

The source further emphasized that the BoT, led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, lacks the required quorum to make binding decisions for the party.

PDP’s Ongoing Struggles

The PDP has been grappling with internal divisions, both before and after the 2023 general elections, leading to continued instability.

Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, has faced growing criticism, with many party members holding him responsible for the party’s struggles following his takeover from Iyorchia Ayu.

Adding to the turmoil is the dispute over the position of National Secretary. In 2023, the South-East zone nominated former National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, to replace Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who had been selected as the party’s governorship candidate in Imo State.

The nomination led to further conflicts within the party, with some factions demanding that Anyanwu step down due to his new political commitments.

On December 20, 2024, the Appeal Court in Enugu ruled in favor of Ude-Okoye, officially confirming him as the new National Secretary. The ruling was communicated to party leadership on December 24.

However, tensions over the National Secretary position persisted. The situation escalated on January 28 when Anyanwu’s supporters forcibly removed Ude-Okoye from a BoT meeting, prompting security forces to intervene.

In response, PDP governors, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, supported the Appeal Court’s ruling and urged the National Working Committee to enforce the decision.

Meanwhile, Anyanwu, in a petition to the Inspector General of Police, the Supreme Court, and the Appeal Court on February 1, maintained that he remains the rightful PDP National Secretary.

He criticized the governors’ endorsement of Ude-Okoye, warning that it would only deepen the party’s crisis.

Last week, Wabara and the BoT also backed Ude-Okoye after reviewing the issues and documents presented by both parties.

In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Anyanwu condemned the BoT’s endorsement of Ude-Okoye, asserting that his position as National Secretary remains valid due to a stay of execution granted by the Appeal Court.

He stated, “The tenure of most members of the BoT, including Wabara, has expired, and nominees from most states are waiting to be sworn in. So, they don’t have the legal right to make such demands. You can’t build something on nothing.”

Backing Anyanwu’s stance, a source disclosed that the BoT consists of 127 members, including 67 statutory members, 37 state and FCT representatives, and 30 from the six geopolitical zones.

He stated, “What Wabara is doing in the name of the BoT since October 2024 is illegal because they do not have constitutional backing to do so. They are not supposed to meet as BoT members to make any decisions, because any decisions they make are null and void.”

The source added that about 12 states had submitted their nominees for the BoT, with other states expected to follow.

Zonal nominations are scheduled for next month after the zonal congresses, with the source insisting, “There is no functioning BoT in the PDP. They cannot decide, suggest, or recommend anything because they do not have a quorum to do so. As a matter of fact, all meetings held since October are illegal.”

An investigation by Sunday PUNCH confirmed that the current BoT meetings lack the necessary quorum as required by the PDP Constitution (2017, as amended).

According to Section 32(10-11) of the PDP constitution, “The quorum of the Board of Trustees shall be two-thirds of its members drawn from at least two-thirds of the states in the federation, and a simple majority shall pass any motion.”

Attempts to reach PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba; Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum; BoT Chairman, Wabara; BoT Secretary, and former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi, were unsuccessful as they did not respond to calls or messages.

Criticism of Wabara’s Leadership

Reacting to the controversy, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, criticized Wabara and suggested that the current BoT members should refer to themselves as party elders rather than trustees.

Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, Osadolor dismissed the legitimacy of Wabara’s BoT meetings and decisions.

He stated, “Over 70 per cent of the current BoT members’ tenures have long expired, and nearly 15 of them are already facing physical health challenges. Therefore, the BoT is not currently properly constituted and does not have the necessary numbers to form a quorum to sit, address, or speak on any issues.

“Now, Wabara, knowing that the BoT he presides over is merely a shell in name and lacks substance, is going ahead with all these meetings across the country which seem to aim only for his personal aggrandisement, rather than the betterment of the party.

“In the name of God and everything that is worth integrity, they should not refer to themselves as members of the BoT. Their tenures have expired. They are PDP elders.”

BoT Defends Its Role

In response, a BoT member and former National Secretary, Senator Umar Ibrahim-Tsauri, acknowledged that most board members’ tenures had expired but argued that criticism of the BoT was unfair.

Tsauri explained that the party’s crisis had forced the BoT to invoke Section 32(6) of the PDP constitution, which grants it the authority to regulate its proceedings.

He stated, “It is true that the tenures of some of the BOT members have expired. But due to the sad, unfortunate, and avoidable situation the party is experiencing, the board decided to rely on section 32 (6) of the party’s constitution which gives it the power to regulate its proceedings.

“It should be noted that the board has already instructed all state and zonal executive committees to bring their nominations to replace those whose tenure has expired.

“The PDP is in a deep challenge caused by an internal crisis. So, it is not a surprise that people continue to bring in something unwarranted, unimportant, and not useful to the progress and stability of the party.

“You don’t expect the BoT members to sit down and act illegally with their experiences. All the members have earned a reputation over the years. How do you expect them to knowingly commit an act that will be regarded as null and void? Remember they are all elder statesmen. In fact, some of them are even Senior Advocates of Nigeria.”