The ongoing crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), deepened on Friday, as the loyal to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, appointed Mao Ohuanbuwa, as the new Chairman of it own faction Board of Trustees BoT.

Ohuanbuwa, a former member of the House of Representatives, emerged as the group?s BoT Chairman, at the meeting held at the Life Camp office of the FCT Minister.

Speaking at the event, Muhammad Abdulrahman, the PDP factional Acting Chairman, said the meeting was organised to inaugurate a new Board of Trustees, as well as renew faith in the ideals that gave birth to this great political family, namely, ? justice, fairness, inclusivity, and respect for the rule of law.?

According to him ?The PDP was not just another political organization when it was founded; it was a national movement -a coalition of dreams built on the belief that democracy must unite rather than divide, build rather than break, and serve rather than dominate.?

?It was this conviction that made the PDP a household name and the pride of Nigeria?s democratic journey,? he said.

Ruminating over the current crisis, Muhammad noted that the party has faced storms that have tested the strength of its foundation.

He noted that the party has found it necessary to replace the Adolphus Wabara led BoT, for failing to enforce a legally binding judgement.

?We have seen internal challenges, leadership disputes, and decisions that, regrettably, drifted away from the very principles that once set us apart.

?The previous Board of Trustees, led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, sadly lost the moral balance expected of that noble institution.

?His suspension by the Abia State Chapter of our party over anti-party activities was a difficult but necessary step. The credibility of that leadership became heavily questioned, and its continued role in national advisory matters became untenable.

?As a result of this, the Board that was meant to be the moral compass of our party became divided and ineffective.

? This vacuum of moral guidance was further compounded by the actions of the then suspended National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, whose leadership regrettably chose convenience over the constitution and personal loyalty over the rule of law.

?Instead of enforcing valid judicial pronouncements and respecting the authority of the courts, that administration often preferred to protect individuals who had clearly violated the rules of the party.

?This dangerous trend weakened our moral standing pushed our great party to a point of deep internal disillusionment.

?When any political party begins to disregard its own constitution and laws, it loses the very soul that holds it together. This was the painful reality we faced and it led, inevitably, to the decision by three concerned members and leaders of conscience to seek judicial redress.

?Their decision was not borne out of anger or ambition, but out of love for the PDP and concern for its survival.

?In their profound reflections titled; ?Why We Went to Court: The Struggle to Save PDP from Itself,? they captured the essence of their action in these immortal words: ?We acted not to destroy, but to redeem; not to divide, but to heal.?

?Those words are not just a defense, they are a call to conscience for all of us.

He also noted that impunity became culture, and internal democracy became an afterthought, in the PDP for too long.

?Valid court judgments were ignored. Expelled individuals continued to act in defiance of the law, and our silence made us Complicit. But today, we have reached the point of

?The judgment of the Federal High Court was not an attack on the PDP; it was a reminder that no institution is greater than the law. It was a wake-up call a call to return to our roots, to restore order, and to reawaken the values that once made the

PDP the pride of Africa.

He noted that the ?new Board of Trustees we inaugurate today, is therefore not just a statutory organ ? it is a symbol of rebirth. It represents our collective decision to return the PDP to its moral center. The Board will once again serve as the conscience and compass of this great party ? offering guidance with cOurage, wisdom, and impartiality.

?To the new members of the BoT, this is not a reward for loyalty; it is a sacred trust. The responsibility before you is enormous to speak truth to power, to defend justice, and to ensure that the PDP remains a home for all Nigerians. Your voices must be voices of unity, your advice must be rooted in fairness, and your actions must inspire confidence in our collective future.

?We must also be honest with ourselves ? the decay we are correcting today did not start yesterday. It began when we abandoned the principle of zoning before the 2015 elections. It began when we allowed ambition to override equity, and when we ignored the cries of reason from within our own ranks. The consequences of those decisions still haunt us today.

?But God, in His wisdom, has given us another chance a second chance to rebuild. The opportunity before us today is one of restoration, reconciliation, and renewal. And I stand before you to assure every member of this great party that under this new leadership, the PDP will never again be held hostage by impunity, manipulation, or disregard for its own constitution.

He promised to rebuild the party with transparency, adding that ?We will respect court judgments and the rule of law. We will conduct our congresses with fairness and integrity. We will restore public trust and make the PDP once again the moral voice of Nigeria?s democracy.

?We cannot continue to hide under the old excuse that ?party matters are internal affairs.? Internal affairs must still operate under constitutional order. Party autonomy cannot mean lawlessness. We must reform or risk irrelevance.

?Therefore, let this inauguration mark the beginning ofa new era ? an era where conscience leads, where unity replaces division, and where respect for the rule of law becomes our political culture.

?Let history record that when the PDP stood at the edge of the precipice, men and women of goodwill rose to pull it back. Let it be written that we chose reform over rebellion, truth over silence, and principle over politics.? (Business Day)

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