PDP Not Contemplating Caretaker Committee Arrangement – Wabara

Former Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has firmly dismissed reports suggesting that the party is considering the establishment of a caretaker committee to oversee its national affairs. He described the claims as misleading and unfounded, insisting that the PDP’s current national leadership remains legitimate and constitutionally constituted.

Speaking in response to growing speculation within political circles, Senator Wabara maintained that the party’s Ibadan National Convention, which produced the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC), was validly convened and its outcome remains binding on the party. He urged party members and the general public to disregard rumours aimed at creating confusion within the opposition.

PDP Leadership Structure Remains Intact

Senator Wabara stressed that the PDP’s national leadership has not at any point discussed or contemplated a caretaker committee arrangement. According to him, the idea being circulated in some quarters is a deliberate attempt to undermine the party’s stability and cohesion at a critical moment in Nigeria’s political landscape.

He reaffirmed that Barrister Tanimu Turaki remains the authentic National Chairman of the PDP, adding that the National Working Committee continues to function within the framework of the party’s constitution. Wabara noted that since a properly constituted national convention produced the current leadership, there is no constitutional basis for dissolving it or replacing it with an interim structure.

The former Senate President further emphasised that the legitimacy of the Ibadan convention has not been overturned by any competent authority, reinforcing the position that the present NWC remains the lawful leadership of the party.

BoT Distances Itself from Caretaker Committee Rumours

As Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Wabara stated categorically that the BoT is not aware of any plan to establish a caretaker committee. He described such an arrangement as unnecessary and inappropriate, given the existence of a duly elected national leadership.

“The Board of Trustees is the conscience of the party and the custodian of its assets,” Wabara said, adding that the BoT is not in contention over the party’s leadership structure. He maintained that, from the perspective of the BoT, the so-called caretaker committee is neither real nor under consideration.

He explained that the BoT remains committed to its constitutional role of providing guidance and moral authority within the party, rather than encouraging actions that could further polarise members or weaken internal democratic processes.

Commitment to Rule of Law and Opposition Unity

Senator Wabara disclosed that the PDP BoT is awaiting the judgment of the court on a pending suit relating to the party, assuring that the party would abide by the court’s verdict when delivered. He said respect for the rule of law remains central to the PDP’s values and democratic credentials.

He cautioned party faithful and members of the public against what he described as rumours spread by impostors allegedly working with external forces to destabilise the PDP. According to him, such actions are aimed at weakening the opposition and diminishing democratic plurality in the country.

Reiterating his belief that the PDP has moved past its most difficult period, Wabara called on opposition political parties and Nigerians at large to unite against any attempt to coerce the country into a one-party state, stressing the importance of a vibrant and competitive political system for Nigeria’s democracy.