…We are just 2 governors left in PDP but we are not bothered – Makinde
The emergency meeting followed the judgement of the appeal court on Monday.
The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party met in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Tuesday.
The emergency meeting took place at the lodge of Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.
Led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, the gathering has in attendance Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Tanimu Turaki, and Umar Damagum.
Others include ex-PDP Deputy National Chairman Bode George, former Information Minister Jerry Gana, former governor of Niger State Babangida Aliyu, and several prominent party members.
In his opening remarks, the BOT chairman, Adolphus Wabara, said that the judgement of the Court of Appeal on Monday is an opportunity for the PDP to begin again.
Earlier in the day, the Abdulrahman Mohamed-led caretaker committee of the PDP also had a briefing, describing the Court of Appeal judgement as a validation of his committee as the authentic leadership of the PDP.
According to him, with the judgement over, the committee is forging ahead with the convention plans, which have been scheduled for later this month.
Appeal Court Judgement
The court of appeal in Abuja has affirmed the judgment of a federal high court, which restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from conducting the national convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan.
Delivering judgment on Monday, a three-member panel of the appellate court dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging the jurisdiction of the Abuja Federal High Court to entertain the suit.
Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who delivered the lead judgement, held that PDP violated the constitutional provisions for a convention.
Onyemenam agreed that no valid notice of the convention was served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by law.
The appellate court also held that congresses were not held in more than 14 states, as provided by law, before the event.
Onyemenam held that the matter raised by those who filed the suit in the lower court should not be regarded as internal affairs of the party.
The court of appeal held that the federal high court was right in assuming jurisdiction and granting an order restraining INEC from accepting or recognising the outcome of the national convention.
“Non-compliance with the 1999 Constitution, Electoral Act 2022, and party Constitution and guidelines are at the heart of democratic governance, and compliance must be strictly enforced in the interest of democracy,” the court held.
Makinde: We are just 2 governors left in PDP but we are not bothered
Meanwhile, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has bemoaned the defection of Governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying although there are only two governors in the party, he is not bothered.
On Monday, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State announced his resignation from the PDP, leaving the Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Makinde as the only PDP governors.
Addressing members of the Expanded meeting of the Board of Trustees, BoT in Abuja on Tuesday, Makinde said what is happening in the party is a challenging period for PDP leaders and members and also a challenging “period for democracy in Nigeria.”
Makinde said he has been speaking with people that should know “who have been involved in the political evolution of this country. And none of them have seen a political landscape like what we are witnessing today. I can only say, we are only two remaining, but we are not bothered.”
He noted that “when the story of this period is told, when the story of democracy in Nigeria is told, they will find us on the side of the people. So please, I can only say that this period will also go away. It will pass away.
“So whatever role we want to play as individuals and collectively as a party, we must be conscious of what history is going to record against or for us for this period.”
On his part, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara said there was need to find solution to what is happening, adding that the BoT considers the recent Appeal Court judgment as an order for the party to begin again.
“An order for the party to begin again. We are more, we respect the law. So this is an opportunity for us to begin again. And that’s why we are all here.”
He said the meeting was not for speech making, but a day “that we have to be very serious with the decisions we are going to arrive at as we’ve always done with the Board, we obey the Constitution. We must work in accordance with the Constitution. And you can never go wrong if you abide by the Constitution and the rule of law.
“We should be very brief with our thoughts. Once we get the briefing of this expanded process meeting, the Board will meet to take its decision.”
He added that the whole idea of what is happening “is to edge us out, but we will find our way, if we have an open mind. We should, in these meetings, keep an open mind and see how we can get ourselves back on track
