PDP Clarifies Supreme Court Judgement, Says Party Remains One, Wabara’s Tenure Expired

.Akpoti-Uduaghan calls for peace, Kogi PDP ratifies automatic ticket for 2027

Chuks Okocha, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

The legally recognised Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has clarified the outcome of the Supreme Court judgement on the leadership crisis plaguing the party, insisting that the Board of Trustees (BoT) led by Senator Adolphus Wabara had since expired and Senator Mao Ohuabunwa assumed the chairman of the Board.

This was as the Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has called on aggrieved members of the PDP to pursue reconciliation through dialogue, following controversy trailing the recent judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

In a show of support, the State Working Committee of the Kogi State PDP has adopted and ratified an automatic ticket for return of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as the party’s sole candidate for the Kogi Central Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections.

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike-led PDP also said that there was no issue of expulsion of anyone canvassed before the Supreme Court.

Addressing journalists yesterday at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary, Hassan Mohammed Jungudo, said, “We are here today to set the record straight and address the deliberate distortions being peddled by one Kabiru Turaki, SAN, and his associates regarding the Supreme Court judgement delivered on the 30th of April, 2026.

“Let it be clear and unambiguous that the Supreme Court judgement of yesterday only nullified the illegal Ibadan Convention and dismissed the appeal filed by the Turaki-led purported National Working Committee for lacking in merit.

“This remains the sole substance of the judgement, contrary to the false narratives being circulated. The judgement did not uphold any suspension or expulsion of any officer of the party.

“The reason is simple: the issue of suspension or expulsion was never before the Federal High Court, let alone the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court. It was neither canvassed at the Federal High Court nor formed part of the questions for determination at any level of adjudication,” the spokesman of the party stated.

Speaking further, Jungudo said, “The apex court addressed only the matter before it, which is the validity or otherwise of the so-called 15th and 16th Ibadan Convention.”

“Accordingly, throughout the Supreme Court judgement, there was no mention whatsoever of suspension or expulsion of any party officer.

“It is also important to state that there has never been a vacuum, obstruction, or absence of leadership in our party that presupposes an interim take over of the administration of the party by any authority. The leadership structure of the PDP remains intact, lawful, and fully operational under the able National Chairman, Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed, and our indefatigable National Secretary, Distinguished Senator Samuel Anyanwu. Their positions remain duly recognised.”

He further said, “What we are witnessing is a desperate attempt by a rejected group to twist the clear facts contained in the judgement of the Supreme Court in order to mislead the public and seek undeserved sympathy. I make it bold to say that the judgement is a public document which can be accessed by anybody to ascertain the content of the said judgement.

“The same individuals who disobeyed valid court orders to conduct the illegal Ibadan Convention have continued in their pattern of lawlessness by assembling again, even after the Supreme Court has spoken.

“Their actions only reinforce what is already evident: an agenda set out with the sole intention to destabilise the Party. The general public should now understand who is committed to the survival of the PDP and who has been working tirelessly to undermine it.

“On the issue of the purported takeover of the party by the Board of Trustees (BoT), or claims of summoning the National Executive Committee (NEC): there is no provision in the party’s Constitution that grants the Board of Trustees the power to take over the leadership of the party or assume the functions of the National Working Committee,” the spokesman of the PDP noted. 

Speaking on the Wabara-led BoT, he said, “Most curious is the claim by Senator Adolphus Wabara, whose tenure as Chairman of the Board of Trustees had long expired even before the onset of this crisis. The only known legitimate leadership of the party’s Board of Trustees is that led by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa. Senator Adolphus Wabara should retrace his steps from making statements on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) forthwith. Any such infractions within the party will no longer be tolerated.

“We urge the public, party members, and the media to disregard the nuisance and propaganda of Senator Wabara and his cohorts, and rather be guided by truth and legality.

“We wish to reiterate that there are no factions in the PDP. We therefore appeal to all media organisations to desist forthwith from portraying or ascribing any factional status to the PDP.

“Finally, we note with concern statements made in the media by Dr. Reuben Abati of Arise TV, who was neither present in court nor privy to the Certified True Copy of the judgement, yet has advanced the false narrative that the PDP is without leadership. This is most unfortunate. We call on him and others in similar positions to exercise greater professionalism and responsibility in their public commentary,” he said. 

Also, the PDP BoT led by Senator Ohuabunwa said in a statement that the BoT acknowledges the judgement of the Supreme Court delivered on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

According to Ohuabunwa, “For the avoidance of doubt, the judgement of the Supreme Court simply affirms the earlier decisions of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal nullifying the purported National Convention of the party held on the 15th and 16th of November 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“As the conscience and the moral compass of the party, the BOT fully respects and accepts the judgement of the Supreme Court.

“Consequently, the legal position remains clear and unambiguous: the said Ibadan Convention stands nullified, and any structure emanating therefrom has no legal foundation. 

”Accordingly, the leadership structure of the party under:Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed – National Chairman, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu, FCIPA – National Secretary remains the valid and stabilising authority to guide the affairs of the Party at the national level.”

Ohuabunwa said that the party remains fully functional and will continue to operate through its recognised organs in line with the Constitution of out party (as amended in 2017).

According to him, “Necessary constitutional steps will be taken, as appropriate, to further strengthen the party’s unity, stability, and preparedness for upcoming electoral engagements.

“We call on all members of our great party to remain focused, united and committed. Consequent upon this, the BOT advises the National Working Committee to immediately constitute a National Reconciliation Committee to reach out to all aggrieved members of the party across the country. 

“This is a moment for discipline, loyalty, and collective commitment to the ideals and future of the party.

“The PDP remains strong, resilient, and committed to its historic mission of providing credible leadership to Nigeria,” Ohuabunwa clarified.

Meanwhile, in a statement she issued yesterday in Abuja, Akpoto-Uduaghan cautioned party faithful and the public against what she described as deliberate misinterpretation of the apex court’s ruling.

She stressed that its scope had been widely distorted.

According to her, “The Supreme Court judgement only invalidated the Ibadan Convention,” urging stakeholders to “beware of propaganda” aimed at misrepresenting the true implications of the verdict.

Akpoti-Uduaghan clarified that matters relating to the suspension of the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, were not part of the Supreme Court’s decision.

She explained that the Court of Appeal Nigeria had earlier affirmed a one-month suspension imposed on Anyanwu and three others during the PDP’s 608th National Working Committee meeting held on November 1, 2025.

“That suspension was not contested, and it lapsed on December 1, 2025,” she noted.

Following the expiration, the affected officials were subsequently appointed into a caretaker committee inaugurated on December 8, 2025, with the mandate to oversee party affairs ahead of the March 2026 national convention.

The senator further maintained that the outcome of the convention remains valid, noting that the party’s current leadership structure is officially recognised on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Amid lingering tensions, Akpoti-Uduaghan appealed for unity across factions, urging members to prioritise the party’s stability over internal divisions.

“I sincerely wish that all aggrieved members of our PDP family resolve matters amicably,” she said, while also extending goodwill to other political parties in the spirit of healthy democratic engagement.

Expressing optimism about the party’s future, she added, “The PDP will field candidates in the 2027 general elections, and we shall definitely win a good number of seats.”

Her intervention comes at a critical juncture for the opposition party as it grapples with legal and structural challenges ahead of the next electoral cycle.

In another development, stakeholders in a meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Lokoja, overwhelmingly endorsed the earlier approval granted by the State Chairman, Hon. Muhammed Gambo.

The committee also affirmed Akpoti-Uduaghan leadership of the PDP in the state, citing her consistent support and financial backing for the party’s activities and structure.

Speaking at the meeting, members of the working committee praised her performance on the floor of the Senate, saying she has continued to make the party proud through purposeful representation.

Beyond her legislative duties, the committee highlighted her impact in Kogi Central through empowerment programs, describing her investments in infrastructure development as outstanding. These include the construction of schools and markets, provision of housing accommodation, and skills training initiatives for constituents.

The PDP assured the senator of its continued loyalty and support, declaring her the unanimous choice for the 2027 Kogi Central Senatorial race.