ABUJA, NIGERIA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s main opposition party, says its Board of Trustees has assumed administrative control following a Supreme Court ruling that stripped the party of its National Working Committee (NWC).
Board chairman Adolphus Wabara announced the move Sunday at the opening of the 84th BoT meeting in Abuja, vowing that the party will never surrender to “renegades and political brigands.”
“As you are aware following the judgment of the Supreme Court on Thursday, 30th April, 2026 which stripped our party of a National Working Committee, the Board immediately assumed administrative leadership of the party,” Wabara said.
The court ruling annulled the party’s 2025 National Convention, which had produced the Kabiru Turaki-led NWC. The judgment also upheld the suspension of key conveners of a contentious March 29-30 convention in Abuja, nullifying that exercise and its outcomes.
Wabara said the BoT’s swift intervention prevented a leadership vacuum.
NEC meeting scheduled for Monday
Wabara announced that the party has secured the required consent of two-thirds of National Executive Committee (NEC) members to convene the 103rd NEC meeting on Monday, May 4, 2026. He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been duly notified.
The BoT chairman traced the party’s crisis to 2025, alleging that some “mischief makers” secretly instituted a court case just 42 days before a scheduled convention, disrupting the party’s plans. He also noted that the Supreme Court declared that suspended officers cannot carry out official duties.
Despite the turmoil, Wabara expressed confidence in the PDP’s resilience. “Our party is still standing strong and can never die,” he said. “The PDP will never surrender.”
He thanked former NWC members for their service and called on BoT members to prioritize unity and reconciliation as the party navigates its challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The developments mark a critical moment for the PDP, which is seeking to reposition itself as a formidable opposition force after a series of internal disputes and legal setbacks.
