Factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, has blamed the ongoing crisis in the party on years of disobedience to its own constitution and unchecked personal ambitions of some leaders.
Speaking on ARISE NewsMonday, Ohuabunwa said the PDP’s internal wrangling and factionalisation were self-inflicted, rooted in disregard for the constitution that binds its members.
“We got to this point for no other reason than disobedience to our own constitution,” he said. “If we had kept to our laws and obeyed our own rules, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Unfortunately, we have refused to learn our lessons.”
The former senator, who now leads a parallel PDP Board of Trustees, said his group was formed to “recover and reconcile the party,” which he described as having lost its moral compass.
“Those of us who are true PDP members, who have remained committed since day one, decided to let Nigerians know what has really happened. The PDP was in power for 16 years, and when we lost in 2015, we set up the Ekweremadu Committee to find out what went wrong.
“That committee made recommendations that have never seen the light of day. We continued behaving as if we were still in power, and since then, the same mistakes have repeated themselves in 2019 and 2023.”
He attributed most of the crises within the PDP to “personal ambition and greed,” insisting that some members have treated the party as a mere vehicle for their presidential aspirations.
“From the history of the PDP, every crisis has been about who wants to be president,” he said. “People leave the party, come back, and want to take the front seat immediately — even contesting the highest position.
“Our constitution clearly states that when you leave and return, you lose your seniority and start afresh. But people come back and expect to lead. That is unfair and one of the main reasons for our problems.”
Ohuabunwa said that unlike those who defect when things don’t go their way, he and others have remained consistent and loyal.
“I am a pioneer member of the PDP. I have never left for one day,” he declared. “Even when my state government, Abia, went under another party, I stayed with the PDP. Many of us have committed our time and resources to keeping this party afloat, but others only think of themselves.”
He also criticised the handling of leadership succession in the party following the exit of former National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, saying it violated the PDP’s zoning principle.
“When Ayu left, the constitution made it clear that the North Central should produce his replacement,” Ohuabunwa explained. “In the interim, Ambassador Damagum, as Deputy National Chairman (North), stepped in — but it was supposed to be temporary.
“Up till now, that replacement has not been made. Instead, the party went ahead to suspend the National Secretary, the National Organising Secretary, and the Legal Adviser — the main pillars of the party. Once you remove these key officers, the house will collapse.”
He rejected claims that his factional BoT was illegitimate or created outside proper structures.
“The truth is that there are now two parallel National Working Committees,” he said. “When one group suspended the other, we had to act because the BoT, which is supposed to be the conscience of the party, became complicit and took sides.
“Our BoT was formed in line with the constitution, from members who align with this vision. It may not include everyone yet, but others will join once they see that we are doing the right thing.”
Ohuabunwa maintained that his group’s goal was to restore order, unity, and constitutional discipline within the PDP.
“We have come to recover the party and reconcile it,” he said. “Over time, we’ve been disobeying our own constitution, and the BoT kept quiet. If we had intervened earlier, there wouldn’t be any need for factionalisation.
The BoT is the conscience and compass of the PDP. We are playing that role now, and we are reaching out to everyone to bring peace back to the party.”
When asked about the recognition of the Damagum-led faction by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ohuabunwa dismissed it as a misunderstanding.
“Before now, a letter had been written to INEC for different congresses and primaries, signed by both Damagum and the National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu,” he said. “So INEC’s recognition isn’t new. That letter predates the emergence of this faction.”
He reiterated that his group’s parallel structure was born out of necessity to correct leadership failures and uphold the PDP’s founding principles.
“Yes, we are a faction, but we are the conscience of the party,” he said. “Our mission is to recover the PDP and make it what it was meant to be: a disciplined, democratic institution guided by its constitution.”
