Appeal Court Judgement: PDP BoT pushes for reconciliation of aggrieved party members

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Kabiru Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to push for reconciliation with other aggrieved members of the party to end its lingering leadership crisis.

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Consequently, it constituted a special Committee to immediately interface with legal teams and any other stakeholders to foster reconciliation within the party.

Chairperson of the board, Adolphus Wabara, disclosed this while reading the communique of its Expanded Emergency Meeting held on Wednesday.

He said it is exploring the window provided by the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, for reconciliation within the party.

The board, therefore, called on all leaders and members of the PDP to jettison all personal and group interests and come together as one in the overall interest of the party.

The BoT said it is aware of the interest and aspirations of party members who are desirous of contesting various positions in the 2027 general elections, hence the decision to seek reconciliation.

“Conscious of the onus on the BoT as the conscience and third highest leadership Organ of the Party, the Board is resolved to take immediate steps to reconcile all stakeholders, put an end to all disputes and restore the party to good political health, particularly to enable,” the communique reads.

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The board also commended the efforts of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for their commitment and steadfastness towards the party and the well-being of all Nigerians.

The board also said it had unanimously approved the appointment of Muazu Aliyu as the Board’s Secretary.

Disagree with judgement

The board also said it disagrees with the Court of Appeal’s judgement, which invalidated the 15-16 November National Convention that produced the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee of the party.

“The BoT is awaiting the advice of our lawyers on the way forward in this regard,” it said.

The BoT also express concerns about the ‘avoidable internal leadership disputes and wranglings’ leading to damaging litigations with consequential detrimental effect on the unity and smooth running of the PDP as the major opposition party in the country.

PDP crisis

The PDP, Nigeria’s former ruling party, has been engulfed in a deep factional crisis that could threaten its survival in the 2027 general elections if reconciliation efforts fail.

The crisis has produced two main factions within the party, one aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the other led by Kabiru Turaki, who emerged from the national convention held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in November last year.

Apart from having parallel NWCs, both factions also have separate Boards of Trustees.

The faction backed by Mr Wike argued that the convention was not conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution and subsequently appointed a caretaker committee, chaired by Abdulrahman Mohammed, to manage the party’s affairs.

The leadership dispute was challenged in court. In January, the Federal High Court nullified the party’s national convention, which produced Mr Turaki as national chairperson.

In his ruling, the judge, Uche Agomoh, held that the caretaker committee led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, with Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, a faction backed by Mr Wike, remained the only recognised National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP pending the conduct of a valid national convention.

The judge ruled that the Ibadan convention was held in flagrant disobedience of two subsisting court judgments and barred Mr Turaki and other officials elected at the convention from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

The Turaki-led faction subsequently appealed the ruling.

On Monday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal upheld the Federal High Court’s decision, invalidating the convention.

The appellate court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the convention, including the emergence of Mr Turaki’s leadership of the party.

Mr Turaki, however, has indicated an interest in challenging the ruling at the Supreme Court.

Party leaders, including a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, have urged Mr Turaki’s faction not to further challenge the court’s decision, warning that prolonged litigation could prevent the party from fielding candidates in future elections.