The internal wrangling within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened on Friday after the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) publicly rejected a report submitted by its own reconciliation committee, an advisory team originally tasked with resolving disputes ahead of the national convention.
The committee, led by Ambassador Hassan Adamu, was inaugurated on November 5, 2025, following directives from the BoT. Its mandate was straightforward: assess the long-standing disagreements dividing the party and recommend a path toward a peaceful, widely acceptable national convention.
After weeks of consultation, the reconciliation committee submitted its findings in Abuja on Thursday. In its recommendations, the committee urged the party to consider installing an all-inclusive caretaker leadership structure, insisting the option was necessary to prevent further polarization within the PDP. According to the report, any convention that does not have the full support of all stakeholders could jeopardize the party’s ability to field candidates nationwide.
The suggestion immediately sparked reactions across the party’s already fractured landscape. The PDP has been split into two factions, one led by Ambassador Umar Damagum and the other by Abdulrahman Muhammed, following disagreements over congresses and internal processes. The tensions were heightened by supporters of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, who insisted that unresolved issues must be addressed before any convention could realistically take place.
The committee also cited the growing number of conflicting court orders, warning that such legal complications could discourage the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring the event. “Considering the multiple court orders and judgments, INEC is not likely going to monitor the Convention. Accordingly, an all-inclusive Care Takers Committee (CTC) is recommended because a failed convention will incapacitate the tenability of the party to field candidates at all levels nationally,” the report stated.
The committee recommended lifting all suspension orders and initiating a holistic reconciliation process involving every aggrieved bloc within the PDP.
However, within 24 hours of the report’s presentation, the BoT firmly distanced itself from the conclusions. In a statement signed by its Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, the BoT declared that the document did not reflect its officially adopted position and should not be interpreted as such.
“The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hereby categorically dissociates and distances itself from the purported Report of the BoT Reconciliation Committee being circulated in some sections of the media.
“The BoT states in clear terms that the content of the said Report is not and does not represent the official position of the Board. Having not been considered or adopted by the BoT, it cannot in any form or guise whatsoever be regarded as the position of the BoT,” the statement read.
Despite a restraining order by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja stopping the PDP from holding its 2025 national convention, the BoT reaffirmed its commitment to proceed with the gathering scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Ibadan.
It further dismissed the proposal for a caretaker committee, stressing that such an arrangement would contradict the party’s decision to elect new leaders through the convention. “The BoT rejects any suggestion for a Caretaker Committee for the Party. Such an idea cannot be contemplated,” the statement added, noting that the Supreme Court had previously affirmed the autonomy of political parties in conducting their internal affairs.
Legal battles surrounding the convention continued on Friday as the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan heard a preliminary objection filed by INEC’s counsel, O. Adeyemi. Adeyemi argued that the case filed by PDP member Folahan Adelabi fell outside the state court’s jurisdiction since INEC is a federal body and, therefore, subject only to Federal High Court authority.
But counsel to the claimant, Musibau Adetumbi, SAN, opposed the objection. He argued that the case touched on fundamental rights, including freedom of assembly. Citing Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution, he maintained that INEC did not belong to the category of agencies that place all matters strictly under the Federal High Court.
Justice Ladiran Akintola adjourned ruling on the objection until December 8, 2025. He also confirmed that the interim order earlier issued—restraining the defendants from interfering with convention preparations—remained active.
The suit lists the PDP as the first defendant, acting National Chairman Umar Damagun as the second, and Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri—chairman of the PDP Convention Organising Committee—as the third. INEC is the fourth defendant.
It will be recalled that the same court had previously extended an interim order protecting the planned convention from disruption pending further judicial review, thereby clearing the way—at least for now—for the Ibadan gathering to proceed.
What You Should Know
The PDP is currently navigating one of its most complex internal crises in recent years, with competing factions, multiple court orders, and disputes over control threatening the stability of the party.
While the reconciliation committee urged a temporary caretaker leadership to prevent a breakdown, the BoT dismissed the idea and is pushing ahead with an elective convention.
Legal battles in Abuja and Ibadan continue to influence the party’s direction, making the outcome of the scheduled convention crucial for its future.
