Supreme Court Judgement: PDP organs to convene emergency NEC, express confidence in repositioning party

The organs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are set to convene an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to determine the party’s rightful leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections, following Thursday’s Supreme Court judgement invalidating the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC).

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The party organs include the Governors Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT), the National Executive Committee (NEC), the National Caucus, the National Assembly Caucus, former ministers, and state chairmen.

The decision was contained in a communiqué issued after an emergency stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja on Thursday. The communiqué was read by Muazu Aliyu, the PDP Board of Trustees’ secretary.

The party has only two serving governors, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, both of whom participated in the closed-door emergency meeting.

Reading the communiqué, Mr Aliyu, a former governor of Niger State, said the party organs welcomed the assumption of leadership by the BoT under its Chairman, Adolphus Wabara.

According to him, the organs’ interpretation of the Supreme Court judgement indicates that the PDP is currently without recognised leadership, as both factions that previously claimed control have now lost legitimacy.

“The interpretation of this judgement clearly leaves the party without any recognised leadership, as both groups previously laying claims to the leadership have been divested of all interests by this judgement.

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“We cannot, therefore, in good conscience allow the party to become rudderless and without direction. We have noted the takeover of leadership of the party by the authentic Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sen. Adolphus Wabara- a move we are not opposed to. This body, serving as the conscience of the party, must immediately convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party, to take decisions as to the leadership of the party and undertake steps preparatory to activities for candidates’ selection towards the 2027 general elections,” the statement reads.

In a split 3-2 decision, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court upheld the judgements of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, both of which nullified the Ibadan convention that produced the Turaki’s faction.

Delivering the lead judgement ment, Stephen Adah held that the convention was conducted in defiance of existing court orders.

Mr Adah and two other justices, Chioma Nwosu-Iheme and Muhammed Garba, ruled that the faction’s actions amounted to contempt of court due to its disregard for a subsisting Federal High Court judgment and, therefore, dismissed the appeal.

However, dissenting opinions by Haruna Tsammani and Abubakar Umar said the appeals arose from the internal affairs of the PDP and were therefore non-justiciable.

The judgement effectively strengthens the rival faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in the ongoing leadership struggle.

The Wike-backed faction held its own convention in March, electing Abdulrahman Mohammed and others as substantive members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

Shortly after the judgement, the Turaki’s faction called on party organs to intervene to prevent the PDP from collapsing. The Wabara-led board subsequently announced the takeover of the party’s leadership thereafter.

The Wabara-led board was aligned with the Kabiru Turaki-led NWC before the Supreme Court judgement. The faction was elected at the party’s national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, last November.

Call to party members

The PDP organs urged party members to remain resolute, expressing confidence that the party would take necessary decisions to ensure its survival and reposition itself as a credible opposition platform.

“We urge all our members to remain steadfast, trusting that we will take decisions in the best interest of the survival of our party, not as addendum of the All Progressives Congress.

“Democracy thrives when there is a vibrant and capable opposition, which aligns with the wishes and interests of the people, not with the government,” the forum added.

READ ALSO: Wike reacts to Supreme Court judgement, says no more factions in PDP

The organs added that it would soon announce its next line of action after extensive consultations with the BoT and other stakeholders.

“Soonest, we will, after extensive consultations with the BOT and other critical stakeholders, announce the action plan for the survival of our party. We can reiterate, that by God’s grace, our party will not die, it will not be handed over to those who want to hold it down for the APC, or those who want to trade and negotiate with it. Like the phoenix, we will surely rise again,” the statement said.