Former Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District in Nigeria’s South-East region, Mao Ohuabunwa, has been announced as the factional Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The development followed the dissolution of the Adolphus Wabara-led board by a faction loyal to the newly appointed Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahman Muhammad.
The decision was contained in a communiqué issued after an inaugural and emergency meeting of the reconstituted Board held on Friday in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The meeting, according to the communiqué, also produced Hon. Isah Dansidi as the new Secretary of the BoT, replacing former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.
According to the statement, both Wabara and Makarfi were removed because they had “publicly taken sides” in the ongoing leadership dispute, a move the Board said compromised the neutrality and integrity required of its members.
“Accordingly, the Board unanimously approved the election of Senator Mao Ohuabunwa and Hon. Isah Dansidi as the Chairman and Secretary of the newly constituted Board of Trustees, respectively,” the communiqué read.
Okay News reports that the PDP Board reaffirmed its position that the party “remains one indivisible, united, and democratic family firmly committed to the ideals of justice, equity, and progress.”
On the matter of the party’s proposed national convention, the newly reconstituted Board aligned with the decision to postpone the event until the Court of Appeal rules on the ongoing case challenging the Federal High Court’s judgment.
“The judgment of the Federal High Court remains superior and weightier in law than the interim order of the Oyo State High Court. Prudence and respect for judicial processes demand that the proposed National Convention be postponed until the Court of Appeal delivers its decision,” the communiqué added.
Party observers say the emergence of Ohuabunwa, a seasoned politician and former federal lawmaker, may shape the next phase of reconciliation within the PDP as it seeks to restore internal stability and reposition ahead of future elections.
