Sam Ohuabunwa, factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has categorically stated that the party’s next move ahead of the 2027 general elections will be determined by the Supreme Court’s judgment, news.ng reports.
Ohuabunwa made this known during a news interview on Arise Television on Sunday.
You may recall that the PDP has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis, causing the party to have factional leaders—one led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the other led by Dr Kabiru Turaki, who emerged as the chairman of the party during the November convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Meanwhile, Ohuabunwa blamed the lingering crisis, which has weakened the party’s structure to its very roots, on the selfish interests of some individuals within the party.
He regretted that things would not have deteriorated to this level if there had been a strong system of leadership in place.
“The Supreme Court judgement is what is going to decide what happens. For now, PDP is trying to rebuild, as you well know, the party has been battered from 2022 to date by different clashes of different interests and conflicts and particularly a lack of leadership,” he said.
While the party is still operating under two parallel leaderships, the Court of Appeal had recognised a faction backed by Wike.
However, Ohuabunwa asserts that the PDP remains united amid its internal struggles since it lost the 2023 presidential election.
He stated, “The appeal court has recognised a leadership and that leadership is what we, myself and many people I’ve seen, we have to support. When the Supreme Court gives the final verdict, whichever leadership, I’ve always said that PDP is one party. The struggle is leadership.”
He reiterated that, no matter the outcome of the judgment, the party will participate in the 2027 general elections.
“But the truth is that the Supreme Court judgement that is awaited is what will decide what happens to PDP’s ability to participate actively in 2027. But for me, whichever way it goes, PDP will participate because the people are already angling,” he said.
According to him, the best way forward is to abide by the law rather than operate in disarray.
“We cannot allow anarchy to take over control of the way a party runs, and we cannot also accept only what we like. The law is there to settle where there’s a conflict, and whatever the law says, I believe that as responsible Nigerians and citizens, we should respect the law and obey the law.
“Since this affliction of dissonance and dislocation has actually affected all the opposition parties, we’re hoping that the judgments, especially coming from the two, PDP and ADC, will calm the environment and set the view for 2027,” Ohuabunwa said.
