By Joe Udo
ABUJA (CONVERSEER) – The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abdulrahman Muhammad, has inaugurated a new Board of Trustees (BoT), pledging to restore the party’s founding principles of justice, fairness, inclusivity, and respect for the rule of law.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held on Friday, 7th November 2025, at the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja, Alhaji Muhammad described the event as “a significant turning point” in the life of the party. He said the new BoT symbolises a rebirth and moral renewal following internal crises that had tested the PDP’s unity and integrity.
According to him, the PDP was established as a national movement built on unity and service, but recent events had steered it away from its founding ideals. He noted that leadership disputes, disregard for court rulings, and the erosion of internal democracy had weakened the party’s moral foundation.
“The previous Board of Trustees, led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, sadly lost the moral balance expected of that noble institution,” Muhammad said, referencing Wabara’s suspension by the Abia State Chapter over alleged anti-party activities. He added that the former leadership became “divided and ineffective,” thereby creating a vacuum in moral guidance within the party.
The Acting Chairman also criticised the former National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, accusing him of prioritising personal loyalty over constitutional order. He said the former leadership often ignored valid judicial pronouncements and tolerated individuals who violated party rules, a trend he described as “dangerous” and detrimental to the PDP’s unity.
“When any political party begins to disregard its own constitution and laws, it loses the very soul that holds it together,” Muhammad stated, adding that the court judgment that led to the leadership changes was not an attack on the PDP but a reminder that “no institution is greater than the law.”
He hailed the courage of party members who sought judicial redress, quoting their statement titled “Why We Went to Court: The Struggle to Save PDP from Itself,” where they declared, “We acted not to destroy, but to redeem; not to divide, but to heal.”
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Alhaji Muhammad emphasised that the new BoT represents a collective commitment to return the PDP to its moral centre. He charged the new members to act as the conscience of the party by promoting unity, fairness, and integrity.
“To the new members of the BoT, this is not a reward for loyalty; it is a sacred trust,” he said. “You must speak truth to power, defend justice, and ensure that the PDP remains a home for all Nigerians.”
The PDP leader acknowledged that the party’s internal decay began long before recent events, citing the abandonment of zoning principles before the 2015 elections as a major turning point. He said the new leadership would prioritise transparency, constitutional order, and respect for the judiciary.
“We will rebuild this party with transparency. We will respect court judgments and the rule of law. We will conduct our congresses with fairness and integrity,” he pledged.
Alhaji Muhammad called on party members to see the inauguration as the start of a new era where “conscience leads, unity replaces division, and respect for the rule of law becomes culture.”
He concluded by expressing optimism that the PDP would reclaim its position as the moral voice of Nigeria’s democracy.
“Let history record that when the PDP stood at the edge of the precipice, men and women of goodwill rose to pull it back. Together, we can rebuild trust and restore the PDP as the true hope of Nigeria’s democratic future,” he declared.
