By Dr. Ikenna Agu
The events that unfolded on Friday in Abuja mark yet another dark episode in the unending crisis plaguing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The so-called “reconstitution” of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) by a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, stands as one of the most reckless, unconstitutional, and morally hollow political maneuvers in the history of the party. By presiding over a process that purportedly “dissolved” a legitimate BoT leadership and “installed” Senator Mao Ohuabunwa—a man who is not even a member of the Board—as “Chairman,” the Wike-led faction has not only made a mockery of the PDP Constitution but also dealt a dangerous blow to internal democracy within the party.
This charade, staged at Wike’s official residence in Life Camp, Abuja, is not an act of reform or rebirth as its promoters claim; it is a crude political ambush. It represents the height of impunity and factional arrogance that undermines the very soul of the PDP—the same soul the Board of Trustees was constitutionally designed to preserve. For a party that once prided itself as the “largest political party in Africa,” the current descent into factional lawlessness is both tragic and disgraceful.
According to the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), the Board of Trustees is the “conscience of the party.” It is a moral and advisory institution meant to safeguard the values, unity, and constitutional order of the PDP. The constitution explicitly provides under Section 32 that the BoT shall consist of all past and serving Presidents, Vice Presidents, National Chairmen, National Secretaries, and Presiding Officers of the National Assembly who are members of the party. It also allows for founding members, zonal representatives, and a few distinguished individuals of proven integrity—but only as determined by the BoT itself.
Section 32 further states unambiguously that “The Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Trustees shall be elected from among members of the Board.” This single clause renders the so-called appointment of Senator Mao Ohuabunwa null, void, and of no effect. Mao Ohuabunwa, by every verifiable record, is not a member of the PDP Board of Trustees. He has never been elected or ratified into that body by the National Executive Committee (NEC) or the National Convention as required by Section 34(7) of the PDP Constitution. Therefore, the question arises: on what legal or moral basis does he assume the role of Chairman of an organ to which he does not belong?
The Wike faction has, in essence, attempted a constitutional coup within the party—using political noise and media drama to cover what is fundamentally an illegality. Even a basic reading of the PDP Constitution exposes the futility of their action.
The PDP Constitution sets out clear operational guidelines for the BoT. Under Section 34, it is only the BoT Chairman—or at least one-third of its members via written request—who can convene a BoT meeting. The Secretary’s function is to inform members about meetings duly called by the Chairman or by one-third of the Board members. The National Working Committee (NWC), or any faction of it, has absolutely no constitutional authority to summon a BoT meeting or dissolve its leadership.
In other words, Friday’s “meeting” at Wike’s residence was not a BoT meeting at all; it was a private gathering of discontented politicians, masquerading as a legitimate party organ. Neither the Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahman Muhammad, nor the FCT Minister possesses any power—constitutional, moral, or procedural—to interfere in the internal leadership of the Board of Trustees.
This is not merely a technicality; it strikes at the heart of institutional integrity. The BoT was created to stand above political manipulation, to act as a stabilizing moral authority when organs like the NWC lose their way. By hijacking this institution, the Wike camp has desecrated one of the few remaining pillars of conscience within the PDP.
To describe this episode as anything less than political vandalism would be charitable. It is a travesty, a deliberate subversion of party laws by individuals who have grown too accustomed to impunity. The notion that the BoT led by Senator Adolphus Wabara could be “dissolved” by a faction of the NWC is preposterous. Section 33 of the PDP Constitution gives the BoT power to “make regulations for the smooth running of its own affairs.” Nowhere in the Constitution does the NWC, NEC, or any faction have authority to reconstitute or interfere in the BoT’s internal leadership.
The so-called justification that Wabara was “suspended” by his state chapter for “anti-party activities” is a flimsy excuse at best. Even if that were true, it does not automatically disqualify him from serving as BoT Chairman; such disciplinary matters must be reviewed and ratified by the National Executive Committee, not a self-serving faction meeting in the FCT Minister’s living room. This selective application of morality is laughable—especially coming from individuals who themselves have repeatedly flouted party discipline, judicial orders, and constitutional provisions.
Beyond the procedural illegality, the choice of Mao Ohuabunwa itself underscores the moral bankruptcy of this faction. Ohuabunwa’s political history hardly inspires confidence. A one-term senator from Abia North, his influence in national politics has waned in recent years, and his role in the PDP’s internal affairs has been negligible. He has not been an active participant in the BoT’s work, nor has he been recognized among its members. His sudden emergence as “Chairman” exposes the process as a patronage arrangement, not a merit-based decision.
To foist an outsider upon the BoT underlines the desperation of those behind this project. It signals not renewal, but the capture of the party’s moral institution by forces bent on personal vindication and factional control. Mao Ohuabunwa’s acceptance of the position—despite knowing he is not a member of the BoT—further damages his reputation and casts him as a willing tool in Wike’s political misadventure.
The fingerprints of Nyesom Wike are unmistakable in this entire debacle. Since losing control of the PDP’s national machinery after the 2023 elections, Wike has waged a relentless internal war against the party’s leadership structures. From the endless battles with the National Working Committee to his open defiance of the party’s presidential candidate and flagbearer, Wike’s pattern is consistent: when he cannot dominate a structure, he seeks to destroy it.
By hosting and orchestrating this illegal “BoT meeting,” the FCT Minister has once again demonstrated his disregard for democratic order and collective responsibility. It is disturbing that a sitting minister of the Federal Republic would engage in such divisive and constitutionally reckless acts against his own party. Instead of serving as a bridge-builder and elder statesman, Wike has chosen to be the chief architect of disunity.
This relentless interference is eroding what is left of the PDP’s institutional integrity. His faction’s audacity in “dissolving” a legitimate BoT led by respected figures like Senator Adolphus Wabara and former Governor Ahmed Makarfi is not an act of reform—it is an assault on decency, discipline, and democracy.
Beyond the internal politics of the PDP, this incident has broader implications for Nigeria’s democratic culture. When leading opposition parties allow factions to rewrite constitutions at will, democracy itself becomes endangered. The rule of law within political parties is the foundation of the rule of law in governance. If a party that claims to be democratic cannot respect its own constitution, how can it be trusted to uphold the Constitution of Nigeria?
The Wike-led faction’s action sends a dangerous message—that political power is above institutional norms. It undermines confidence not only in the PDP but in Nigeria’s fragile multiparty democracy. It normalizes illegality, rewards disloyalty, and punishes integrity. Such behavior deepens cynicism among citizens who already doubt the sincerity of Nigeria’s political class.
The Board of Trustees was meant to serve as a stabilizing moral anchor amid political turbulence. Its hijack by a faction obsessed with control shows how deeply personal ambition has overtaken collective responsibility within the PDP.
Section 33 of the PDP Constitution defines the BoT’s functions as advisory, supervisory, and reconciliatory. It is meant to “mediate in disputes among Party members” and “ensure that the Party enjoys continuous good leadership and guidance.” How then can a faction claiming to restore order begin by sowing deeper division through illegality? How can they talk about reconciliation while usurping an organ that exists precisely to reconcile differences?
The irony is profound. The same faction that claims to be “saving the PDP from itself” has instead plunged it into further chaos. Their actions directly contradict the core principles of the BoT—fairness, unity, morality, and constitutional compliance. By fabricating a new BoT outside the boundaries of the party constitution, they have delegitimized their own cause.
One of the most important reasons the PDP created the BoT was to preserve institutional memory and ensure that seasoned elders guide the younger generation. The BoT brings together former presidents, vice presidents, national chairmen, and founding members whose collective wisdom offers balance and continuity. To ignore these experienced voices in favor of a politically expedient faction is to destroy the institutional balance painstakingly built over two decades.
The legitimacy of the BoT lies not merely in its composition but in its collective moral authority. Once that authority is compromised by external manipulation, the PDP loses its moral compass. The Ohuabunwa episode thus represents not just a constitutional crisis, but a moral one.
For the avoidance of doubt, the legitimate leadership of the PDP Board of Trustees remains under Senator Adolphus Wabara as Chairman and Senator Ahmed Makarfi as Secretary. Both men were duly recognized by the party’s organs and have consistently acted in accordance with the PDP Constitution. Their tenure cannot be terminated by a factional group or an acting national chairman without authority.
The so-called communiqué issued by the “new” BoT carries no legal or moral weight. It is a product of illegality, signed by individuals without the constitutional capacity to act in that capacity. Any attempt to enforce or rely on that communiqué would be contemptuous of the party constitution and potentially challengeable in court.
The time has come for genuine party leaders—both within and outside the current structures—to draw a firm line between reform and rebellion. Reform must be rooted in legality; rebellion hides under the guise of reform but aims only at control. The PDP cannot afford to normalize lawlessness. The National Executive Committee (NEC) must urgently convene to denounce the Wike-led faction’s actions, reaffirm the authority of the authentic BoT, and take disciplinary measures against those responsible for this constitutional travesty.
The founding fathers of the PDP—men like Alex Ekwueme, Solomon Lar, and Tony Anenih—designed the BoT to be the conscience of the party, not its casualty. The present generation of PDP leaders must not allow personal vendettas to destroy what remains of that vision.
The installation of Mao Ohuabunwa as PDP BoT Chairman by a faction of the party is an exercise in futility—illegitimate, unconstitutional, and morally void. It violates every known provision of the PDP Constitution and insults the intelligence of millions of party members nationwide. It is not a rebirth of moral direction; it is a desperate attempt by political opportunists to hijack the moral machinery of the party for selfish ends.
Nyesom Wike and his faction must be reminded that democracy is not sustained by noise or muscle but by respect for rules. The PDP does not belong to any individual or cabal; it belongs to its members and its constitution. The conscience of the party cannot be imposed from outside—it must emerge from within.
Until the PDP learns to respect its own constitution and restore the sanctity of its institutions, it will remain trapped in the cycle of crisis and decline. And as for the so-called installation of Mao Ohuabunwa as BoT Chairman—it is, in every sense of the word, a futile political illusion.
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