As the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party festers, stakeholders of the party have differed on the legality of its current Board of Trustees.
While some members of the party questioned the rationale behind the meetings held by the leadership of the PDP BoT, whose tenure is said to have expired, others argued that there was nothing wrong if the current members decided to hold the forte and control some of the affairs of the party since it was currently in crisis.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that 85 of the 127 members of the BoT had been absent from the board’s activities.
It was gathered that the BoT of the main opposition party in the country held meetings and took decisions without forming a quorum, a development some members said was not in line with the PDP constitution.
A senior member of the PDP National Working Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation to comment on the issue, said 42 statutory members should not make decisions on behalf of the BoT.
The source also stated that the Senator Adolphus Wabara-led BoT could not make decisions for the party as the board did not have the quorum required to do so.
PDP struggles
The PDP has been struggling with serious internal issues before and after the 2023 general elections, leading to ongoing instability and continued division among its members.
Umar Damagum, the acting National Chairman of the PDP, has faced mounting criticism from party members, many of whom blame him for the party’s continued troubles, particularly after he replaced Iyorchia Ayu.
The crisis within the PDP has been further exacerbated by a dispute over the National Secretary position. In 2023, the South-East zone of the party nominated the former National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, to replace Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who was selected as the party’s candidate for the Imo State governorship election.
This nomination sparked further conflict within the party, with some factions calling for Anyanwu to step down due to his new political commitments.
On December 20, 2024, the Appeal Court in Enugu ruled in favour of Ude-Okoye, confirming him as the new National Secretary. This decision was communicated to the party leadership on December 24.
However, the leadership crisis persisted as tension over the National Secretary position continued to rise within the party.
The situation intensified on January 28 when Anyanwu’s supporters forcibly removed Ude-Okoye from a BoT meeting, prompting security forces to intervene and restore order.
In response, PDP governors, led by the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, supported the Court of Appeal’s decision and urged the National Working Committee to implement the ruling.
Meanwhile, Anyanwu, in his petition to the Inspector General of Police, the Supreme Court, and the Appeal Court, on February 1, maintained that he was still the rightful PDP National Secretary, describing the endorsement of Ude-Okoye by the party’s governors as an action that would only worsen the crisis and called for their intervention.
Last week, Wabara, leading the BoT, also endorsed Ude-Okoye, stating that the decision was made after a thorough review of all the issues and documents provided by both Ude-Okoye and Anyanwu.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH, Anyanwu had described the BoT’s backing of Ude-Okoye as unfortunate, stating that he remained the National Secretary, as confirmed by the stay of execution granted by the Appeal Court.
He stated, “The tenure of most members of the BoT, including Wabara, has expired, and nominees from most states are waiting to be sworn in. So, they don’t have the legal right to make such demands. You can’t build something on nothing.”
Supporting Anyanwu’s position, the source informed Sunday PUNCH that the BoT was made up of 127 members, including 67 statutory members, 37 from the states and the Federal Capital Territory, and 30 from the six geopolitical zones.
He stated, “What Wabara is doing in the name of the BoT since October 2024 is illegal because they do not have constitutional backing to do so. They are not supposed to meet as BoT members to make any decisions, because any decisions they make are null and void.”
He added that about 12 states had submitted their nominees for the BoT, adding that they (states) were waiting for the other states.
The source noted that zonal nominations would take place next month after the zonal congresses, insisting that “there is no functioning BoT in the PDP.”
“They cannot decide, suggest, or recommend anything because they do not have a quorum to do so. As a matter of fact, all meetings held since October are illegal.”
An investigation by our correspondent confirmed what the source and Anyanwu stated regarding the BoT.
The PDP Constitution 2017, as amended, shows that Wabara’s current meetings lack the necessary quorum.
On meetings, Section 32(10 – 11) of the constitution states, “The quorum of the Board of Trustees shall be two-third of its members drawn from at least two-third of the states in the federation and simple majority shall pass any motion.”
Our correspondent’s attempts to reach the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba; acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum; BoT Chairman, Wabara; Secretary, and former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, were unsuccessful, as they neither answered their calls nor responded to messages.
Reacting, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, criticised Wabara, stating that they should refer to themselves as party elders, not BoT members.
Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, Osadolor declared that all meetings and decisions made by Wabara’s BoT were invalid.
He stated, “Over 70 per cent of the current BoT members’ tenures have long expired, and nearly 15 of them are already facing physical health challenges. Therefore, the BoT is not currently properly constituted and does not have the necessary numbers to form a quorum to sit, address, or speak on any issues.
“Now, Wabara, knowing that the BoT he presides over is merely a shell in name and lacks substance, is going ahead with all these meetings across the country which seem to aim only for his personal aggrandisement, rather than the betterment of the party.
“In the name of God and everything that is worth integrity, they should not refer to themselves as members of the BoT. Their tenures have expired. They are PDP elders.”
We can’t just watch – BoT member
In response, a BoT member and former National Secretary, Senator Umar Ibrahim-Tsauri, confirmed that the tenures of most of the board members had expired.
Tsauri, however, accused those criticising the BoT of being unfair, stating that the party was facing significant challenges and required assistance.
“It is true that the tenures of some of the BOT members have expired. But due to the sad, unfortunate, and avoidable situation the party is experiencing, the board decided to rely on section 32 (6) of the party’s constitution which gives it the power to regulate its proceedings.
“It should be noted that the board has already instructed all state and zonal executive committees to bring their nominations to replace those whose tenure has expired.
The PDP is in a deep challenge caused by an internal crisis. So, it is not a surprise that people continue to bring in something unwarranted, unimportant, and not useful to the progress and stability of the party.
“You don’t expect the BoT members to sit down and act illegally with their experiences. All the members have earned a reputation over the years. How do you expect them to knowingly commit an act that will be regarded as null and void? Remember they are all elder statesmen. In fact, some of them are even Senior Advocates of Nigeria,” Ibrahim-Tsauri said.
