PDP crisis caused by misreading Supreme Court — Nnaji
By Chinedu Adonu
The National Vice Chairman (South East) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barr. Ray Nnaji, has dismissed claims of a leadership crisis within the party, attributing the controversy to what he described as a misinterpretation of recent court rulings.
Speaking to journalists at the weekend amid rising internal tensions, Nnaji insisted that the PDP structure remains intact and fully functional, with no leadership vacuum as being speculated in some quarters.
“There is no leadership vacuum. We are in charge, we are in possession of our national secretariat, and the party structure is intact,” he said.
His comments followed remarks by former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, who suggested that the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) had assumed leadership following a Supreme Court judgment on the disputed Ibadan national convention.
Wabara had argued that the BoT, as the party’s second-highest organ, was constitutionally positioned to take temporary control after the apex court invalidated the rival factions that emerged from the convention.
However, Nnaji rejected that interpretation, insisting it does not reflect the actual position of the judgment.
He accused some party members of deliberately misrepresenting the ruling to create confusion and deepen internal divisions.
According to him, the dispute originated from disagreements over the conduct of the Ibadan convention, with aggrieved members challenging the process in court over alleged breaches of procedure and incomplete state congresses.
Nnaji explained that the Federal High Court initially nullified the convention on grounds of disobedience to a subsisting order, a decision that was upheld by the Court of Appeal and later affirmed by the Supreme Court.
He further alleged that despite a valid court order, another faction proceeded with the convention after obtaining an ex-parte order from a court of coordinate jurisdiction.
“The judgment was based on violation of court orders and due process, not internal party politics,” he said.
Nnaji warned that disregarding court rulings could attract contempt consequences, stressing that legal compliance remains essential in party affairs.
He, however, expressed confidence that the PDP would overcome its internal challenges, particularly in the South-East, and called for unity among members.
“Even in a family, disagreements happen. It does not destroy the home. Our focus is to rebuild and strengthen the party,” he said.
He also urged aggrieved members to embrace reconciliation, adding that he remained open to any arrangement that would strengthen the party’s overall interest.