Meet Mao Ohuabunwa, the man now leading PDP’s board of trustees
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) announced on Friday that Mao Ohuabunwa would head its reconstituted Board of Trustees (BoT), marking another twist in the party’s long-running internal battles. The decision, sealed at an emergency meeting in Abuja, followed the dissolution of the Adolphus Wabara-led board by a faction loyal to the party’s new acting national chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahman Muhammad.
According to a communiqué released after the meeting, Ohuabunwa’s emergence was “unanimous,” with the board citing the need for “neutral and credible leadership” at a time of heightened internal crisis. Isah Dansidi was named the new secretary, replacing former Kaduna governor Ahmed Makarfi.
“Accordingly, the Board unanimously approved the election of Senator Mao Ohuabunwa and Hon. Isah Dansidi as the Chairman and Secretary of the newly constituted Board of Trustees, respectively,” the communique read.
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The communiqué explained that both Wabara and Makarfi could no longer continue in their positions “having publicly taken positions in the ongoing intra-party crisis,” a move that the new leadership said undermined the neutrality expected of the BoT.
For Ohuabunwa, this appointment is both a return and a test, a chance to restore balance within a party he has long called home.
From business to politics
Born on May 24, 1957 in Port Harcourt to parents from Atani in Arochukwu, Abia State, Ohuabunwa began his career far from the corridors of power. After earning a degree in Applied Biology from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology in 1982, he set up a medical laboratory and later founded St. Marsons Diagnostic Limited a chain of diagnostic centres with branches across Yola, Jalingo, Port Harcourt, Lagos, and Abuja.
But his entrepreneurial success soon gave way to a deeper interest in public service. In 1998, he contested for a seat in the House of Representatives under the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) before the process was cut short by political upheaval. Undeterred, he ran again in 1999, this time under the PDP and won, becoming the first person to represent both Arochukwu and Ohafia constituencies in the National Assembly.
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During his two terms in the House (1999–2007), Ohuabunwa rose to become Deputy Leader and led the South-East caucus.
His influence extended beyond Nigeria’s borders he served as chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Security Committee at the ECOWAS Parliament between 2001 and 2003, and later as treasurer from 2004 to 2007.
A seasoned hand in the Senate
Ohuabunwa returned to national politics in 2015, winning the Abia North senatorial seat under the PDP. His tenure in the Senate saw him champion regional integration and development initiatives, including support for agricultural innovation and youth employment.
However, his 2019 re-election bid was cut short when former Abia governor Orji Uzor Kalu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated him with 31,203 votes to his 20,801. Ohuabunwa rejected the results, alleging manipulation by electoral officials.
“It has come to our knowledge that INEC operatives, in their haste to arrive at a pre-determined conclusion, manipulated the process,” he said at the time. “We demand that the election be cancelled completely.”
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Scholar, statesman, and party loyalist
Beyond politics, Ohuabunwa has continued to build his academic and administrative credentials. He holds multiple degrees, including a Master’s in Human Resource Management from Rivers State University and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
In July 2024, he was appointed Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Port Harcourt. He has also been honoured with the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) and the Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State (DSSRS).
A Knight of Saint Christopher in the Anglican Communion, Ohuabunwa is widely respected for his quiet but firm approach to leadership traits that may serve him well in navigating the PDP’s current turbulence.
Mao was married to Nimi Faith with whom he has children. She died on July 22 2023
