PRESS RELEASE BY DR. FALACK VICTOR (THE TARABA STATE CARETAKER COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN) ON THE MISINFORMATION ABOUT THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) AND HER NATIONAL CARETAKER COMMITTEE.
Dear Tarabans,
I bring you warm greetings from our national leaders, His Excellency, Honorable Nyesom Wike, and our National Caretaker Committee Chairman, His Excellency, Alhaji Honourable Abdulraman Mohammed. It is a privilege to address you as we approach a significant milestone in our party's history.
The essence of this press release is to address the misleading narrative that has misled our members and teeming supporters across the length and breadth of Taraba State.
Firstly, it is not true that the Peoples Democratic Party would be delisted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) because of unabated and unresolved internal crises. This false information has misled a lot of our party members to joining other political parties. A lot of our members who reside in the rural areas are victims of this misinformation and distortion of truth. This misinformation is a tool designed by the opposition to weaken the PDP in Taraba State.
I wish to state categorically clear that the PDP would not be delisted by INEC; that the PDP is alive, strong, and viable, and shall participate in the forthcoming elections.
The PDP is the strongest political party in Taraba State. It has the widest grassroot spread and has been in power since the return of democracy in 1999 until the recent defection of the current governor to the All Progressive Congress (APC). The misinformation is deliberate and intended to weaken the strength and structure of the party in the state.
The PDP is targeted by the opposition because it is the only viable and promising option for Tarabans to restore good governance.
Secondly, the press release made by the dissolved PDP State Working Committee on the 24th February, 2026 disclaiming our appointment further heightened the misinformation that has polluted the political space in Taraba State. A portion of their Press Release reads thus:
"The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Taraba State Chapter, has been notified of a purported press release circulating within the state alleging the appointment of a Caretaker Committee for the party.
The party categorically states that the information is false, misleading, and unauthorized. The said publication emanated from an unrecognized body with no constitutional standing within the party and appears intended to create confusion and unnecessary tension among members."
I wish to state clearly that the Alhaji Abdulraman Mohammed led National Caretaker Committee is known to law contrary to the misinformation being circulated by the dissolved State Working Committee. It is highly unfortunate and disheartening to describe the national body of our great party as an "unrecognized body with no constitutional standing within the party… intended to create confusion and unnecessary tension among members." This misinformation is capable of causing a breakdown of law and order among party members and this should never be encouraged.
As you are all aware, the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, based on the authority vested on her, in December 2026, dissolved the State Working Committee in fourteen states, including Taraba State. This development gave rise to the constitution of the Taraba State Caretaker Committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Falack Victor.
In this vein, I wish to bring to your attention the judgement of the Federal High Court Ibadan, delivered by Justice U.N. AGOMOH (on Friday, 30th January, 2026) wherein it was stated that the PDP convention held in Ibadan on the 15th and 16th November 2025 was a nullity. The judgement which was delivered on the 30th January 2026 reads:
"I hold therefore that the purported Convention of the applicant which held in Ibadan on the 15th and 16th of November 2025 is a nullity."
"I hold further hold that every action and decision purportedly taken at that Convention in Ibadan between 15th and 16th of November 2025 is a nullity."
"There is evidence before me from the Counter Affidavit of Senator Samuel Anyanwu who was the national secretary of the Applicant to the effect that at the expiration of their four year tenure which ended in December 2025, a caretaker committee was set up to run the affairs of the applicant pending the time they will hold a convention. This piece of evidence was not controverted by the applicant. A caretaker committee became an inescapable option because the law abhors a vacuum."
"I therefore hold that the caretaker committee set up by the applicant is the only lawful and legitimate body that can run the affairs of the applicant in the circumstances of this case."
"Let me conclude by saying that the 1st respondent in this case is the electoral umpire – that is INEC. It is only bound to deal with the Caretaker Committee set up to run the affairs of the applicant pending when they hold a lawful and legitimate convention wherein the national officers will be elected. It cannot and should not accord any recognition to anybody or group parading themselves as National Officers of the applicant who emerged from the Ibadan convention of 15th and 16th November 2025 which I have nullified in this judgement."
This court judgment clearly recognizes the Alh. Abdulraman Mohammed led National Caretaker Committee as the only body known to law. The court also directed INEC to recognize the Alh. Abdulraman Mohammed led National Caretaker Committee. INEC has done so already. Anyone parading themselves as officials of the PDP other than those known to the Alh. Abdulraman Mohammed led National Caretaker Committee do so in contravention or breach of the law
Thirdly, this press release is not intended to smear or affront any personality; instead, it is intended to correct the misinformation about the PDP that has polluted the political space in Taraba state. Now that the facts have been made known to the public, the media should disseminate the correct information to our teeming supporters and the general public.
Fourthly, I wish to strongly advise members of the dissolved State Working Committee to kindly vacate the PDP state secretariate else, the law would take its course. We are guided by law not by intimidation or blackmail.
Occupying the state secretariate of the party after your lawful dissolution amounts to illegality and the law frowns at such act. The law and the judgement of the court is not on your side. Note that no one is above the law irrespective of their status. I wish to humbly invite you to join hands with us to build this great party and make it stronger rather than resorting to cheap blackmail against the national body of the party.
Fifthly, the PDP leadership shall resist any attempt by non-party members to control the party structure in Taraba state by proxy for their personal interest.
Finally, I wish to state as follows:
a) That the PDP would not be delisted by INEC as wrongly speculated.
b) That the Alhaji Abdulraman Mohammed led National Caretaker Committee is known to law and it is the only PDP national body recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
c) That the Dr. Falack Victor led Caretaker Committee is known to law and it is the only PDP body in Taraba State recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
d) That party members who resigned their membership based on the misinformation should return to the party.
e) That party member should not engage in any form of affront with fellow party members based on the deliberate and intended division created in the PDP family in Taraba state.
f) That the deliberate fractionalization of PDP by other PDP members in Taraba State should stop forthwith. We must come together, mend fences and return the party in Taraba State to her original glory.
g) That party members should be law abiding at all times. Be loyal to the party's constituted authorities, submissive to the party's constitution and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In conclusion, I wish to thank our national leader, His Excellency, Honorable Nyesom Wike, and our national Caretaker Committee Chairman, His Excellency, Alhaji Abdulraman Mohammed for giving me and my team this uncommon privilege to serve our great party in this capacity. We are committed to your vision for this great party, the PDP.
Thank you.
DR. FALACK VICTOR, FCA; FCE; FCITN; PhD.
(Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Taraba State Chapter).
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