The board of trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party has established a reconciliation committee to resolve disagreements within the party ranks.

The BoT chairman, Adolphus Wabara, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday after an emergency meeting.

On Tuesday, Abdulrahman Mohammed assumed office as the party’s acting national chairman, which led to tension at the PDP national secretariat and the subsequent shutdown of the building by security operatives. He came in the company of supporters chanting solidarity songs and demanded that the National Working Committee, led by Umar Damagum, vacate the headquarters immediately.

Mr Wabara expressed concern over the recent developments within the party’s ranks, which have caused understandable concerns, tensions, misunderstandings, and regrettable incidents that have played out in public.

According to him, the invasion of the national secretariat does not reflect the ideals and character of the PDP.

“As the conscience of the party, the BoT cannot and will not take sides, but remain focused on safeguarding the integrity of the PDP and ensuring dialogue over discord. The decision for reconciliation is not a sign of weakness, but a demonstration of maturity and responsibility.

“Against this backdrop, the BOT sets up a high-powered committee to immediately reconcile all conflicting sides and restore unity of purpose to our party as we head to the elective National Convention in Ibadan.

“The BoT reconciliation committee draws its members from all geo-political zones, with Ambassador Hassan Adamu (North-East) as Chairman and  Chief Mike Abiadome (South-South) as secretary. The BoT  mandated the reconciliation committee to report back on it on Tuesday, November 11, for further action,” he said.

He reaffirmed that the PDP remained a united, formidable, and focused political party under the leadership of  Mr Damagum-led NWC.

Earlier at the opening ceremony of the emergency meeting, the acting chairman, Mr Damagum, announced that the PDP national convention would proceed as scheduled on November 16.

Mr Damagum said that the assurance followed a landmark court ruling that affirmed the party’s right to hold the exercise. He said the decision of Justice Akintola, delivered on Tuesday, had cleared all legal hurdles that previously threatened to stall the convention.

According to him, the judgment reaffirmed the supremacy of the law and internal democracy in the affairs of the political party.

“Justice Akintola delivered a landmark ruling affirming that our party has sufficiently satisfied all provisions of the law and therefore retains the constitutional right to organize its internal democratic processes. In this era of judicial intimidation and moral compromise, what Justice Akintola did is an act of courage. His judgment is not just a victory for our party, but for democracy itself,” he said.

Mr Damagum said that courage and integrity must guide the incoming NWC, urging delegates to elect leaders capable of reviving the party’s structures and mobilising new supporters nationwide. He stated that Nigeria’s democracy was facing new threats, including “foreign interference and security challenges”.

The acting national chairman called for unity and strategic planning ahead of the convention, reaffirming that the PDP remained committed to strengthening democracy in Nigeria.

(NAN)