PDP BoT Sets Up Reconciliation Committee for All Feuding Parties, Says It Won’t Take Sides

•Insists on dialogue

•Adeleke: Crisis a family affair, urges calm

•Secretariat invasion dangerous affront to democracy, declares Bode George

Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo and Segun James in Lagos

The Board of Trustes (BoT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, announced the setting up of a six-man committee to reconcile all warring factions within the party.

Chairman of BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara, announced former Minister of Environment, Alhaji Hassan Adamu, as head of the committee, with former Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mike Oghiadomhe, as secretary.

Wabara insisted on settlement and dialogue as the way forward.

The committee had till November 11 to submit its report.

Other members of the committee were Chief Ugochukwu Okeke (South-east), Senator Zaynab Kure (North-central), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (South-west), and Dr. Lubna Mohammed Gusau (North-west).

Amid ongoing efforts to reunite the party, Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, urged members of PDP to remain calm, describing the disagreements in the party as a family affair.

Relatedly, former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George, said the recent invasion of the party’s national secretariat by uniformed securitymen was a dangerous affront to democracy and the rule of law, which must not be allowed to repeat.

But the new acting national chairman of PDP, linked to the Nyesom Wike faction, Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, faulted the ex-parte order of the Oyo State High Court, stating that it cannot give an order where a federal institution, like the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is involved.

But Wabara, who read from a communique, said, “BoT reaffirms that the PDP remains a united, formidable and focused political party under the leadership of the Amb. Iliya Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC).

“The BoT solidly stands with and commends the Amb. Iliya Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC), the PDP Governors Forum, the National Convention Organising Committee, and other critical organs of the party for their collective roles in stabilising our party, especially as we progress towards the conduct of the Elective National Convention scheduled to hold on the 15th and 16th of November 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

“The BoT welcomes the ruling of the Oyo State High Court, presided over by Justice A L Akintola, which affirmed the constitutional right and liberty of our party to manage its internal affairs, including holding our 2025 Elective National Convention as scheduled. This landmark ruling is victory to democracy, rule of law and political development in our country.

“The BoT, however, expresses worry over the recent developments within our ranks that have caused understandable concerns. The tensions, misunderstandings, and regrettable incidents that have played out in public including the invasion of our national secretariat are not reflective of the ideals and character of the PDP.

“As the conscience of the party, the BoT cannot and will not take sides but remain focused on safeguarding the integrity of the PDP and ensuring dialogue over discord. The decision for reconciliation is not as a sign of weakness, but as a demonstration of maturity and responsibility.

“The BoT mandated the Reconciliation Committee to report back to it on Tuesday, 11th November, 2025 for further action.”

Wabara described PDP as a cat with nine lives that would survive the crisis, which, according to him, would stand out as a defining moment for the party.

In his remarks, Damagum reaffirmed that the national convention scheduled for Ibadan next week would hold, as the legal issues against it had been removed.

He said, “It gives me great joy to finally inform you that, despite the initial legal hitches, the 2025 Elective National Convention of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will hold.

“Yesterday, the 4th of November 2025, Justice Akintola delivered a landmark ruling affirming that our party has sufficiently satisfied all provisions of the law and, therefore, retains the constitutional right to organise its internal democratic processes, specifically, to hold the 2025 Elective National Convention.

‘’I must confess that what Justice Akintola did, in this era of judicial intimidation and moral compromise, is an act of courage.”

Adeleke: Crisis is Family Affair, Urges Calm

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State urged members of PDP to remain calm, despite the current crisis within the party at the national level, describing it as a family affair.

Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, stated that stakeholders in the party were interested in resolving the crisis and return PDP to its rightful position.

He stated, “I urge all members of our party, the PDP, to remain calm and be steadfast. We are cruising to victory next year and we must remain committed to ensuring that we rebuild this party for renewed landslide victory.

“The ongoing disagreement within the party at the national level is a family affair and I want to assure all members both at the state and national level that it will soon be resolved.

“All the stakeholders at the national level have the party’s progress and success at heart and are all looking at ways to resolve the crisis as soon as possible.”

The governor directed PDP leaders across local governments and wards in the state to continue to mobilise for the party ahead of the 2026 governorship election, adding that PDP remains the party to beat.

George: Secretariat Invasion Affront to Democracy

Former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George, described the invasion of the party national secretariat by uniformed securitymen as a dangerous affront to democracy and the rule of law, warning that this should not be allowed to repeat. George stated this during a press conference at his office, in Ikoyi, Lagos.

He lamented the action he labelled “brigandage”, allegedly done in concert with a minority faction of the party.

George maintained that the action, which came up after the judgement stopping the PDP convention, was an illegal and unlawful act.

He stated, “it is clearly a recipe for anarchy.

“Now, Justice Omotosho’s judgement has led to the invasion of our National Secretariat in Abuja by uniformed security personnel, acting in concert with a minority faction of the party. What a travesty of justice!

“The deployment of uniformed personnel into the private chambers of a major political party is a direct assault on democratic values and the freedom of political association guaranteed by our constitution.

“This action undermines public confidence, threatens national stability, and sends a dangerous signal to the international community about the state of democracy in Nigeria.

“In his judgement stopping the PDP convention, Justice Omotosho is trying to force his personal judicial opinion into the sacred judicial interpretation of the apex court of the land.”

Wike’s Faction Faults Oyo Court Order

The controversial acting national chairman, propped up by the Nyesom Wike faction of PDP, Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, faulted the order of the Oyo State High Court, alleging the state court cannot give an order where a federal institution like INEC is involved.

Mohammed also said the faction had filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja seeking a judicial interpretation of the James Omotosho judgement of October 31, and its implications regarding all instructions affiliated to INEC,

Mohammed, who addressed the media yesterday, announced the cancellation of the PDP national convention in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, pending the determination of the judgement of the Court of Appeal.

He further said they had notified INEC not to monitor the Ibadan convention of the party, as the October 31 judgement barred INEC from doing so.

Mohammed claimed, “It’s a nullity in law that an ex-parte order cannot stand as it required that the other side be put on notice, hence, the matter was adjourned to November 10. We have also petitioned the National Judicial Council of the errors in Justice Akintola’s ex-parte order.

“In view of this and the inconsistency in law with the ex-parte order, we have cancelled the November 15 and 16 national convention till there is a definite Court of Appeal pronouncement on the convention and we have equally notified INEC of these developments.

“We are equally challenging the ex-parte order of the Oyo State High Court because it’s an abuse of the court processes for a state high court to give an order where a federal institution like INEC is involved.”