The battle for control of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), took a dramatic turn on Tuesday with the expulsion of the party’s Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairperson, Senator Adolphus Wabara.
According to a statement by Abraham Amah, the PDP Chairman in Abia State, Wabara was expelled by the State Working Committee (SWC) after reviewing the findings of a disciplinary committee set up to investigate him.
“After a thorough review of the committee’s findings and recommendations regarding the expulsion of Senator Adolphus Wabara, the SWC unanimously approved the recommendation contained in the report. Senator Adolphus Wabara is hereby expelled from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” the statement read.
The Abia PDP further stated that Wabara would no longer enjoy any rights or privileges within the party, citing Articles 57(3) and 59(1) of the PDP Constitution (2017 as amended). It also urged the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) to appoint a new BOT chairperson.
The party leaders reiterated their commitment to upholding party discipline and ensuring that all members abide by the PDP constitution.
Wabara had previously been suspended by the Abia chapter of the PDP for allegedly endorsing Governor Alex Otti’s second-term bid, despite Otti being a member of the Labour Party. However, the PDP’s National Working Committee later reversed the suspension, declaring it “unconstitutional, null, and void.”
The embattled BOT Chairman’s troubles have also been linked to his support for Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the ongoing political battle against FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over control of the Rivers State PDP.
Wike recently criticized Wabara in a live television interview, stating that he would have disowned him if he were his relative. He accused Wabara of being responsible for the crisis in the Rivers PDP, calling his leadership of the BOT a disgrace.
In response, Wabara dismissed Wike’s remarks, stating that he would not engage in a war of words with the minister. He described Wike’s statements as lacking decorum and unbecoming of a public officeholder.
“I will expect a man of his calibre and status to mind his language and words. He should be sure of his facts. But I don’t want to join issues with Wike and dignify him,” Wabara said.
