…says new Board of Trustees we inaugurate today, is therefore not just a statutory organ – it is a symbol of rebirth
Acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Muhammad Abdulrahman has said the major opposition in Nigeria has reached the point of renewal and a total rebirth.
Abdulrahman made this disclosure at the inauguration of the new Board of Trustees, BoT, on Friday in Abuja. 
He said:”This new Board of Trustees we inaugurate today, is therefore not just a statutory organ – it is a symbol of rebirth. It represents our collective decision to return the PDP to its
moral center.
“The Board will once again serve as the conscience and compass of this great party – offering guidance with courage, wisdom, and impartiality.
“To the new members of the BoT, this is not a reward for loyalty; it is a sacred trust. The responsibility before you is enormous to speak truth to power, to defend justice, and to ensure that the PDP remains a home for all Nigerians.
“Your voices must be voices of unity, your advice must be rooted in fairness, and your actions must inspire confidence in our collective future
He explained that: “Valid court judgments were ignored. Expelled individuals continued to act in defiance of the law, and our silence made us Complicit. But today, we have reached the point of
renewal.
“The judgment of the Federal High Court was not an attack on the PDP; it was a reminder that no institution is greater than the law. It was a wake-up call a call to return to our roots, to restore order, and to reawaken the values that once made the
PDP the pride of Africa.
This new Board of Trustees we inaugurate today, is therefore not just a statutory organ – it is a symbol of rebirth. It represents our collective decision to return the PDP to its
moral center. The Board will once again serve as the conscience and compass of this great party – offering guidance with courage, wisdom, and impartiality.
“We must also be honest with ourselves – the decay we are correcting today did not start yesterday. It began when we abandoned the principle of zoning before the 2015
elections.
“It began when we allowed ambition to override equity, and when we ignored the cries of reason from within our own ranks. The consequences of those decisions still haunt us today.
But God, in His wisdom, has given us another chance a second chance to rebuild. The opportunity before us today is one of restoration, reconciliation, and renewal.
“And I stand before you to assure every member of this great party that under this new leadership, the PDP will never again be held hostage by impunity, manipulation, or disregard for its own constitution.
“We will rebuild this party with transparency. We will respect court judgments and the rule of law. We will conduct our congresses with fairness and integrity. We will restore public trust and make the PDP once again the moral voice of Nigeria’s democracy.
“We cannot continue to hide under the old excuse that “party matters are internal affairs.” Internal affairs must still operate under constitutional order. Party autonomy cannot mean lawlessness. We must reform or risk irrelevance.
“Therefore, let this inauguration mark the beginning ofa new era – an era where conscience leads, where unity replaces division, and where respect for the rule of law becomes our political culture.
“Let history record that when the PDP stood at the edge of the precipice, men and women of goodwill rose to pull it back. Let it be written that we chose reform over rebellion, truth over silence, and principle over politics.
“Together, we can heal our party. Together, we can rebuild the trust of our members.
Together, we can restore the PDP as the true hope of Nigeria’s democratic future.
“Distinguished members of the National Working Committee, respected elders of our great party, members of the newly constituted Board of Trustees, esteemed stakeholders, members of the press, ladies and gentlemen – good afternoon and welcome.
“Today marks a significant turning point in the life of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). We have come together, not merely to inaugurate a new Board of Trustees, but to renew our faith in the ideals that gave birth to this great political family – justice, fairness, inclusivity, and respect for the rule of law.
“The PDP was not just another political organization when it was founded; it was a national movement -a coalition of dreams built on the belief that democracy must unite rather than divide, build rather than break, and serve rather than dominate. It was this conviction that made the PDP a household name and the pride of Nigeria’s democratic journey.
“But in recent times, we have faced storms that have tested the strength of our foundation. We have seen internal challenges, leadership disputes, and decisions that, regrettably, drifted us away from the very principles that once held us together.
“The previous Board of Trustees, led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, sadly lost the moral balance expected of that noble institution. His suspension by the Abia State Chapter of our party over anti-party activities was a difficult but necessary step.
“The credibility of that leadership became heavily questioned, and its cotinued role in national advisory
matters became untenable.
“As a result of this, the Board that was meant to be the moral compass of our party became divided and ineffective. This vacuum of moral guidance was further compounded by
the actions of the then suspended National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, whose leadership regrettably chose convenience over the constitution and personal
loyalty over the rule of law.
“Instead of enforcing valid judicial pronouncements and respecting the authority of the courts, that administration often preferred to protect individuals who had clearly
violated the rules of the party.
“This dangerous trend weakened our moral standing pushed our great party to a point of deep internal disillusionment.
“When any political party begins to disregard its own constitution and laws, it loses the very soul that holds it together.
“This was the painful reality we faced and it led,
inevitably, to the decision by three concerned members and leaders of conscience to seek judicial redress. Their decision was not borne out of anger or ambition, but out of love for the PDP and concern for its survival.
“In their profound reflections titled; “Why We Went to Court: The Struggle to Save PDP from Itself,” they captured the essence of their action in these immortal words:
“We acted not to destroy, but to redeem; not to divide, but to heal.”
“Those words are not just a defense, they are a call to conscience for all of us. For too long, impunity became culture, and internal democracy became an afterthought.
To the new members of the BoT, this is not a reward for loyalty; it is a sacred trust. The responsibility before you is enormous to speak truth to power, to defend justice, and to ensure that the PDP remains a home for all Nigerians. Your voices must be voices of unity, your advice must be rooted in fairness, and your actions must inspire confidence in our collective future.
“But God, in His wisdom, has given us another chance a second chance to rebuild. The opportunity before us today is one of restoration, reconciliation, and renewal.
“And I stand before you to assure every member of this great party that under this new leadership, the PDP will never again be held hostage by impunity, manipulation, or disregard for its own constitution.
“We will rebuild this party with transparency. We will respect court judgments and the rule of law. We will conduct our congresses with fairness and integrity. We will restore public trust and make the PDP once again the moral voice of Nigeria’s democracy.
“We cannot continue to hide under the old excuse that “party matters are internal affairs.” Internal affairs must still operate under constitutional order. Party autonomy cannot mean lawlessness. We must reform or risk irrelevance.
“Therefore, let this inauguration mark the beginning ofa new era – an era where conscience leads, where unity replaces division, and where respect for the rule of law becomes our political culture.
“Let history record that when the PDP stood at the edge of the precipice, men and women of goodwill rose to pull it back. Let it be written that we chose reform over rebellion, truth over silence, and principle over politics.
“Together, we can heal our party. Together, we can rebuild the trust of our members.
Together, we can restore the PDP as the true hope of Nigeria’s democratic future.
