A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) has rejected a communiqué issued after the party’s 83rd BoT meeting, deeming it unconstitutional and devoid of legal effect. The disgruntled BoT members, through their lawyers, C.T. Mue and Associates, addressed a letter to former BoT chairman, Adolphus Wabara, disputing the communiqué’s legitimacy.

At issue is paragraph eight of the communiqué, which purportedly announced the suspension of certain BoT members and referred them to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) for disciplinary action. The counsel argued that the PDP constitution, under Article 32(5), restricts the BoT’s powers to advisory, moral, custodial, mediatory, and harmonising functions, thereby precluding it from disciplining, suspending, or removing members. Any resolution attempting to suspend BoT members is, therefore, ultra vires and null and void.

The lawyers further cited Article 32(7) of the PDP constitution, which stipulates that only the party’s national convention, acting on the recommendation of the National Executive Committee (NEC), can remove a BoT member on grounds of misconduct or infirmity. As no such recommendation or convention decision exists in relation to their clients, the alleged suspensions are deemed a “constitutional aberration.”

The affected BoT members also questioned Wabara’s authority to issue or present the communiqué, given that his tenure as BoT chairman had expired. They maintained that he lacks the legal standing to convene meetings, preside over them, or speak on behalf of the board, rendering any meeting or resolution held under such circumstances legally ineffective.

The BoT members have urged the public to disregard the communiqué, insisting it emanated from an unlawful authority. They have demanded its immediate withdrawal, a public retraction of the alleged suspensions, and a formal acknowledgment that the BoT has no disciplinary powers over its members. The development highlights ongoing internal dynamics within the PDP, with potential implications for the party’s governance and decision-making processes. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the party will address the concerns raised by the aggrieved BoT members and navigate its internal conflicts.