The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has stepped in as the main opposition party grapples with a fresh and debilitating internal crisis. The Chairman of the BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has assured members that the party will survive the current turmoil, famously declaring that the “PDP has nine lives.”
This reassurance was given on Wednesday during a crucial BoT meeting convened to address the deepening divisions within the party. The emergency meeting became necessary following a recent judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which nullified the party’s planned National Convention scheduled for Ibadan.
The court’s ruling triggered an immediate and public power struggle. Factions loyal to the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and the suspended National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, engaged in a series of retaliatory suspensions, further plunging the party into chaos.
In his opening address, Senator Wabara acknowledged the “understandable concerns” caused by the “detentions, misunderstandings, and regrettable incidents.” However, he remained steadfast, likening the PDP’s resilience to that of a cat with nine lives. “We are not declining to anywhere. We are rising and rising and rising. And we will overcome,” he asserted.
He emphasized that the BoT is determined to mediate between all factions and restore unity, working closely with the National Assembly caucus and other stakeholders to ensure a successful convention is held.
