…Says BOT Chairman Remains Senator Adolphus Wabara
…Warns Against Hijacking the Party by External Forces
…Describes Purported Suspension of PDP National Chairman as Illegality Clothed in Absurdity
A two-time Commissioner and prominent Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Barr. James Okpara, has taken a firm stand against those opposing the forthcoming National Convention of the PDP, describing their actions as unpatriotic, illegal, and detrimental to the survival of the party.
Addressing journalists in Umuahia on Friday, the respected legal practitioner, who served as Commissioner for Legal Matters under former Governor Theodore Orji and later as Commissioner for Housing under Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, said that any individual or group working to frustrate the National Convention is clearly acting against the collective interest of the PDP and its founding ideals.
According to Okpara, the PDP has always been known for its strong internal democracy, and any attempt to truncate that process amounts to sabotaging the will of the party’s loyal members nationwide.
“The National Convention is the soul of our party. It is the platform where decisions that shape our political direction are made. Any person who claims to love the PDP but is secretly or openly working to stop the convention does not wish the party well,” he said.
Okpara, a long-standing advocate of party discipline and unity, expressed disappointment that some individuals within the PDP have allowed external influences and selfish ambitions to dictate their actions rather than focusing on the progress of the party.
He specifically condemned those claiming to have suspended or removed the National Chairman of the PDP, describing them as “content creators” engaging in political comedy.
“Those who claimed to have suspended or removed the National Chairman of our great party are nothing but content creators. Their actions are an illegality clothed in absurdity and the ridiculous,” Okpara said.
The former Commissioner expressed deep concern that individuals handling media and propaganda operations for top officers of a rival political party are still parading themselves as PDP officials.
“It is worrisome that the main persons driving the media and propaganda of some officials in a rival party are purported PDP officers. Their marketability is because they are seen as PDP members. The path of honour and decency is for them to resign from the PDP and officially work for their preferred party,” he stated.
He added that if such individuals were to leave the PDP today, they would lose the little relevance and marketability they currently enjoy. According to him, it is unfortunate that some supposed members are working from within to destroy the PDP and prevent it from being used as a viable vehicle to unseat the APC at the Federal level in 2027.
“Most of these people have already joined another vehicle but are insisting on driving the vehicle of the PDP off the mountain into the Atlantic Ocean,” he added metaphorically.
Barr. Okpara also questioned the sources of funding for the legal battles instituted to stop the PDP National Convention, expressing curiosity about the financial capacity of those involved.
“We know the cost of hiring a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to prosecute a case in court , it is very expensive. In this case where some individuals are trying to stop the PDP National Convention, we ask: what is the source of funding to hire three or four SANs? Who provides the enormous funds for logistics, flights to Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt? Who pays for the choice hotels and exotic vehicles they use? These are people whose means are reasonably well known,” he said.
On the issue of the purported removal of Senator Adolphus Wabara as the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), Okpara dismissed it as a “joke taken too far.”
“The decision of a few individuals meeting in the private residence of someone working for the Federal Government cannot and should not be regarded as a valid PDP meeting. Whatever they did there is null, void, and of no consequence,” he stated.
Barr. Okpara reaffirmed that Senator Adolphus Wabara remains the authentic BOT Chairman of the PDP, noting that any attempt to remove him without following the provisions of the party’s constitution is an exercise in futility.
He urged the National Working Committee (NWC) and all genuine party faithful to remain focused and united, stressing that the PDP remains the only platform with the experience and structure to rescue Nigeria from the hardship currently witnessed under the ruling APC.
“Our duty now is to strengthen the PDP, not to tear it apart. The National Convention is a democratic process that gives every member a voice. We must allow it to hold freely and transparently,” he concluded.
Barr. Okpara reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to the PDP and pledged to continue contributing to its growth both in Abia State and at the national level.
