Members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) led by its chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Sunday, re-echoed that the judgement of the Supreme Court has rendered the Abuja Convention as convened by Abdulrahman Mohammed and Anyanwu as acting Chairman and National Secretary respectively a nullity.
The BoT stated this while giving an address in Abuja at the opening of the meeting.
At the meeting, they also harped on the suspension of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Barr. Kamaldeen Ajibade and Hon. Umar Bature, as National Secretary, National Legal Adviser and National Organising Secretary, respectively, on the 1st of November 2025 at its NWC 608th meeting, saying it has come to stay.
Their suspension, according to Wabara, who addressed newsmen a few hours after, said the decisions was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in its judgment of 30th April 2026.
In that judgment, the Supreme Court it would be recalled declared that during a period of suspension, a suspended officer ceases to be an officer of the party and can no longer carry out any official duties in the party, either as suspended member or officer.
On the 3rd of November 2025, Senator Anyanwu, while still under suspension, appointed Abdulrahman Mohammed as the Acting National Chairman.
Wabara stated further, “Distinguished members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), as you are aware following the judgment of the Supreme Court on Thursday, 30th April, 2026 which stripped our party of a National Working Committee, the Board immediately assumed administrative leadership of the party in line with the empowering provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (As amended in 2017).
“That immediate intervention averted a leadership vacuum in the aftermath of the judgment of the Supreme Court which annulled the 2025 National Convention that produced the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee as well as upheld the suspension of key conveners of the March 29th -30th contentious Convention in Abuja thereby also invalidating that exercise and nullifying its outcome.
“Since the assumption of administrative leadership of our Party, the BoT has been receiving flurry of solidarity messages and comments by Nigerians from all walks of life whose belief in the PDP remains unshaken in the confidence that our party will emerge triumphant from all challenges we face.
“These messages not only reinforce the fact that Nigerians are with us as always but also strengthen our courage, resolve and determination to overcome the hurdles and lead the charge to rescue our nation from the claws of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the 2027 general elections.
“Let me at this point, on behalf of the BoT, thank and commend His Excellency, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki SAN and members of his NWC for their exceptional display of patriotism, loyalty and selfless service to our party. They displayed an uncommon resilience, courage and undefeated fighting spirit for which the PDP remains proud of them.
“We also thank our governors, National Assembly Caucus, State Chairmen, Ex-officios and other leaders, staff of the National Secretariat and teeming members of our party for standing firm at this critical moment in the life of the PDP. Your labour for our party and nation will never be in vain.
“Before I proceed further, let me digress a little to recap the series of events over the last six months within our Party. On the 24th of July 2025, our party held the 101 meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) at National Secretariat in which INEC was in attendance. At that meeting the convening of our National Convention for the 15th-16th of November 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo state Capital, the Zoning Committee for the Convention, Timetable for Congress in the remaining 12 States and other issues were all approved.
“On the 24th of August 2025, the party held the 102nd NEC meeting also at National Secretariat, where it was openly confirmed that all correspondences to INEC relating to the Ibadan Convention had been signed by the then National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum and then National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu. This drew the applause of all those present at the meeting. The Zoning arrangement was presented and also adopted for implementation.
“On the 4th of October 2025, precisely 42 days before our scheduled Convention, some mischief makers in collusion with the suspended former National Secretary, National Legal Adviser and National Organizing Secretary and apparently working in cahoots with enemies of the PDP, secretly instituted a case against our Party to stop the holding of the Convention.
“These actors kept the case away from the National Working Committee in a bid to surreptitiously secure judgement against the Party. The NWC was however hinted of the suit by some persons loyal to the Party and immediately decided to join the suit. The suspended National Legal Adviser failed to release the case file to enable the party effectively defend the matter. On the 31st of October 2025, barely two weeks to the scheduled Convention, the Court delivered a compromised judgement against our Party.
“On the 1st of November 2025, the NWC at its 608th meeting, suspended the three officers; namely Senator Anyanwu, Barr. Kamaldeen Ajibade and Hon. Umar Bature, as National Secretary, National Legal Adviser and National Organizing Secretary respectively.
“Their suspension was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in its judgment of 30th April, 2026. In that judgment, the Supreme Court declared that during a period of suspension, a suspended officer ceases to be an officer of the party and can no longer carry out any official duties in the party, either as suspended member or officer.
“Instructively on the 3rd of November 2025, Senator Anyanwu while still under suspension, appointed one Abdulrahman Mohammed as the Acting National Chairman. The judgment of the Supreme Court therefore rendered the Abuja Convention as convened by Abdulrahman Mohammed and Anyanwu as acting Chairman and National Secretary respectively a nullity. From this point on, the rest is history.
“Distinguished members of the BoT, I have taken us through this lane for us to see the severe internal sabotage perpetuated by some individuals working for the APC with the aim to cripple our party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Nevertheless, the good news is that despite the travails, our Party is still standing strong and can never die. The PDP will never surrender to renegades and political brigands. We must stand firm and resist all machinations from individuals and institutions set against us. We have weathered the storm; we have shamed naysayers and a bright sunny day lies ahead.
“I am indeed pleased to inform Nigerians that our party has already secured the statutorily required consent of two-third of the members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to convene the 103rd NEC meeting tomorrow, Monday, 4th May, 2026 and INEC has also been duly notified.”
