Fresh cracks have emerged within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as rival blocs resumed hostilities on Thursday night, issuing conflicting interpretations of the Supreme Court judgment that nullified the party's November 2025 national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The apex court, in a split decision of three to two justices, upheld earlier rulings of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal which voided the convention on the grounds that it was conducted in defiance of subsisting court orders. The judgment has effectively invalidated the leadership structures that emanated from the exercise, deepening the crisis within Nigeria's main opposition party.
However, rather than resolve the protracted leadership tussle, the ruling has triggered a fresh wave of claims and counterclaims, with different factions advancing sharply divergent positions on the party's current leadership status. At the centre of the renewed dispute is the Board of Trustees (BoT), which has now split into opposing camps, each asserting authority over the party.
Addressing journalists after a high-level meeting in Abuja involving PDP governors, members of the National Assembly caucus, former state chairmen, and other stakeholders, former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, who spoke on behalf of the Adolphus Wabara-led BoT faction, declared that the party's constitution had automatically vested leadership in the BoT following the nullification of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Aliyu maintained that the Supreme Court judgment had left the party without a recognised executive, thereby necessitating immediate constitutional intervention to prevent a leadership vacuum. “We are going to have a BoT meeting on Sunday and a NEC meeting on Monday. But most importantly, the meeting today has confirmed what our constitution provides. Our constitution states that in a situation where there is no National Working Committee, the Board of Trustees takes over. The BoT has, therefore, taken over the affairs of the PDP,” he said.
He explained that both factions that had laid claim to the party's leadership prior to the judgment had effectively been stripped of legitimacy, insisting that the BoT's assumption of control was in line with the party's constitution. “The interpretation of this judgment clearly leaves the party without any recognised leadership. We cannot allow the party to become rudderless. That is why the BoT, under Senator Adolphus Wabara, has stepped in,” he added.
Aliyu further disclosed that the party would soon unveil an action plan after consultations with critical stakeholders, stressing that efforts were underway to reconcile aggrieved members and reposition the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections. He dismissed insinuations that the party was weakening, warning against any drift towards a one-party state. “Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. The PDP will continue to provide a credible opposition. We are reaching out to all members, including those who may have left, to return and rebuild the party,” he said.
On the status of certain party officials, Aliyu insisted that the Supreme Court judgment had reaffirmed their suspension, adding that actions taken by such individuals lacked legal standing. “The Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment will clarify all issues by Monday. But we believe the position is clear regarding those who were suspended,” he noted.
In a dramatic twist, however, another faction of the BoT, led by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, issued a counter statement on the same night, rejecting the claim that the BoT had taken over the party's leadership. This development has further muddied the waters, leaving the PDP in a state of uncertainty as stakeholders await the release of the judgment's certified true copy.
