No Leadership Vacuum, Your Tenure Has Expired

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has countered the claims that there is a leadership vacuum in the party.

The position was made known in a statement on Friday by the National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed.

According to him, Abdulrahman Mohammed remains the party’s legitimate national chairman.

This position follows an earlier decision by the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, which announced that it had taken over the national leadership of the party.

TheTimes Nigeria reports that the PDP BoT, in a statement on Thursday, signed by Wabara, said the step was taken based on the Supreme Court ruling of Thursday.

According to him, the judgment of the apex court left the PDP without a recognized leadership, and the BoT had to take over in order to avoid a leadership vacuum in the party.

He argued that the Supreme Court, by its ruling, invalidated the November 2025 National Convention of the PDP held in Ibadan, Oyo State, which produced the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee of our Party.

Wabara added that the Supreme Court also upheld the suspension of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature, and Kamaldeen Ajibade as National Secretary, National Organising Secretary and National Legal Adviser, respectively, from the Party.

According to him, the implication of the Supreme Court’s ruling is that all actions taken by Anyanwu, Bature and Ajibade, including the appointment of Abdulrahman Mohammed as Acting National Chairman, the composition of the National Caretaker Working Committee and the conduct and outcome of the March 29th, 2026, Convention in Abuja, are illegal, null and ab initio void.

He said since the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led as well as the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led Working Committees have been invalidated, the BoT has to take over the leadership of the PDP.

However, Mohammed disagreed with the claim, arguing that the apex court’s ruling only nullified the 2025 National Convention in Ibadan, and it did not affect the current National Working Committee (NWC).

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

“This remains the sole substance of the judgment, contrary to the false narratives being circulated. The judgment 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 apex court addressed only the matter before it, which is the validity or otherwise of the so-called Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 Ibadan Convention

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

Mohammed said that there has never been a vacuum, obstruction, or absence of leadership in PDP that presupposed an interim takeover of the administration of the party by any authority.

He noted that the leadership structure of the PDP remained intact, lawful, and fully operational under the National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu.

He warned against misinterpreting the position of the Supreme Court.

“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,” Mohammed said.

Your Tenure Has Expired

The party spokesperson also claimed that the tenure of Senator Adolphus Wabara as the PDP BoT Chairman has expired, thus claims about a takeover by the Board of Trustees is unconstitutional.

According to Mohammed, the PDP Constitution does not grant the BoT the power to assume the functions of the NWC or take over party leadership.

“Most curious is the claim by Sen. 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 BoT is that led by Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa,” he said.

No Faction In PDP

Mohammed advised Wabara to retrace his steps from making statements on behalf of the PDP forthwith, saying any such infractions within the Party would no longer be tolerated.

He also cautioned the media against reporting the party as factionalised, maintaining that the group led by Turaki and Wabara is a rejected group.

“We urge the public and the media to be guided by truth and legality. There are no factions in the PDP,” he said.