The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has assured party members that the opposition party will survive its current crisis, declaring that the PDP “has nine lives.”
Naijaonpoint reports that Wabara made the remark on Wednesday while presiding over a BoT meeting convened to address the deepening divisions within the party.
Wabara’s reassurance came in the wake of a recent judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which nullified the party’s planned National Convention earlier scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The ruling triggered a fresh wave of internal strife, with factions loyal to Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum and suspended National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu trading counter-suspensions.
Immediately after the judgment, the Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) suspended Anyanwu and three others. In response, Anyanwu’s camp, reportedly aligned with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, retaliated by suspending Damagum and four other NWC members.
The escalating conflict has plunged the main opposition party into another round of leadership crisis ahead of the planned convention.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Wabara said, “I want to remind you that this party, PDP, can be likened to the cat. The cat has nine lives. PDP has nine lives. We are not declining to anywhere. We are rising and rising and rising. And we will overcome.”
He said the BoT was determined to mediate between all factions and restore unity in the party. He emphasised that the board would work closely with the National Assembly caucus, NWC, and other stakeholders to ensure the success of the convention whenever it is rescheduled.
“Our party has withstood trials, transitions, and temptations because it is founded on the enduring principles of justice, fairness, equity, and national inclusion,” Wabara stated.
He acknowledged that recent developments, including detentions, misunderstandings, and public exchanges, were “not reflective of the ideals and character of the PDP.”
“However, recent developments within our ranks have caused understandable concerns. Detentions, misunderstandings, and regrettable incidents that have played out in public are not reflective of the ideals and character of the PDP,” he said.
Responding to comments made earlier in the meeting, Wabara dismissed claims that the PDP was in decline, insisting that the party’s resilience would see it through yet another political storm.
“Senator Kure a while ago alluded to the fact that the party is declining when she was giving us her prayers,” he noted.
“But I want to remind you that this party, PDP, can be likened to the cat. The cat has nine lives.”
He added that the PDP remains the only party in Nigeria with a truly national outlook and inclusive structure, stressing that internal disagreements were part of its democratic nature.
“We have survived trials before, and we will survive this. The PDP is rising again,” Wabara said confidently.
Naijaonpoint reports that the PDP, which governed Nigeria for 16 consecutive years before losing power in 2015, has struggled to maintain internal cohesion amid multiple factional disputes.
The current crisis stems from leadership rivalries, conflicting interests over the planned national convention, and legal tussles over the legitimacy of key party executives.
Amid concerns that the crisis could weaken the party ahead of the 2027 elections, party elders like Wabara remain optimistic that reconciliation efforts will restore stability to Nigeria’s oldest major opposition platform.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]