Umar Sani: PDP BoT Has Taken Over Party After Supreme Court Verdict

PDP chieftain says Board of Trustees has assumed control and begun reconciliation moves following Supreme Court ruling.

Nigeria’s opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says its Board of Trustees (BOT) has assumed control of party affairs following a Supreme Court judgment that brought clarity to a prolonged leadership dispute and triggered a fresh phase of internal restructuring ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking in an interview on ARISE News, PDP chieftain Umar Sani said the party has accepted the Supreme Court’s decision, even as it moves to stabilise its internal structures and rebuild unity across factions.

“The Supreme Court is the final court in the land and once they decide… you have to obey. And we have bowed to obey the Supreme Court order,” he said.

Sani explained that the current leadership vacuum has activated constitutional mechanisms within the party, with the Board of Trustees stepping in as interim custodians.

“At yesterday’s meeting… the BOT Chairman and the BOT Secretary… said the door is open; that the BOT… has now taken over the party,” he said.

According to him, the BOT will convene a meeting to determine the next steps, followed by a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Monday to decide on the party’s transitional structure.

“We will be holding a NEC meeting on Monday… to decide whether to set up a caretaker committee or what the next line of action is,” he said.

Sani added that the NEC meeting is constitutionally backed, noting that two-thirds of members can legitimately convene such a session when necessary.

He stressed that reconciliation remains central to the party’s immediate agenda, with the BOT already opening channels for dialogue among stakeholders.

“The BOT has said the door is open for reconciliation and that we are a family and we can come together and move the party forward,” he said.

Addressing concerns about repeated internal crises, Sani argued that the current situation is unusual in the party’s history and has been externally influenced.

“We normally don’t have such type of crisis… PDP has existed right from 1999; we have ruled for 16 years,” he said.

Despite the tensions, he insisted that the PDP remains confident of rebuilding ahead of 2027, citing its national structure and political experience.

“We are assuring Nigerians that in 2027, the PDP will come out stronger, better, and we will field very serious candidates that can win the election,” he said.

Sani concluded that the party is already repositioning itself through internal restructuring and reconciliation efforts aimed at restoring unity and electoral competitiveness.