Crisis: PDP NWC disowns factional South-South zonal congress

…describes Calabar gathering as ‘a social event’

In a new twist in the lingering crisis besetting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), its National Working Committee (NWC) has firmly disowned a gathering held in Calabar, Cross River State, on Saturday, February 22, 2025, where certain individuals claimed to be conducting the party’s South-South Zonal Congress. 

The party leadership has described the event as nothing more than a social gathering without official recognition or legitimacy.

In a strongly worded press statement released on Saturday, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, clarified that the party had not conducted its South-South Zonal Congress and had no involvement in the assembly in Calabar. 

He emphasised that the NWC had earlier postponed the congress to allow for broader consultations on key issues affecting the zone.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP states in clear terms that it has not conducted its South-South Zonal Congress, neither is it in any way involved in the said gathering in Calabar,” the statement read.

The party cited specific provisions of its 2017 amended constitution to justify the decision to halt the congress. 

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According to Ologunagba, Section 29(2)(b) empowers the NWC to act on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in emergencies, while Section 31(2)(c) and (j) grants the NEC supervisory authority over all party organs, elections, and candidate selection processes.

With this legal backing, the PDP leadership dismissed the gathering in Calabar as an illegitimate exercise, urging members of the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and the media to disregard any outcomes from the event.

The controversy surrounding the South-South PDP leadership has been brewing for months, driven by internal power struggles, defiance of party directives, and increasing factionalism.

At the center of the dispute is Chief Dan Orbih, the party’s National Vice Chairman (South-South), who spearheaded the unauthorized congress in Calabar.

Orbih, known to be an ally of former Rivers State Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has been at odds with other party leaders over control of the zonal structure.

Despite the NWC’s postponement of the zonal congress, Orbih’s faction pushed ahead, issuing a public invitation on February 21, 2025, for the congress at the Metropolitan Hotel in Calabar. 

The invitation, signed by Acting Zonal Secretary George Turner, cited Article 28(3) of the PDP constitution to justify their actions.

However, this unilateral move has further fractured the party in the region, drawing strong opposition from rival factions and state chapters.

The legitimacy of Orbih’s leadership came under scrutiny following a controversial meeting he convened on February 15, 2025, in Edo State. 

The meeting, deemed illegal by Chief Felix Omemu, the Zonal Secretary, was boycotted by key PDP stakeholders, who argued that it violated the party’s constitutional provisions for convening zonal meetings.

Omemu publicly criticised the Calabar gathering, accusing Orbih of acting without proper consultation and deliberately creating confusion within the party.

Further complicating matters, the Cross River State chapter of the PDP also distanced itself from the congress, insisting that any official zonal activities must be held at the party’s recognized headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The South-South PDP crisis mirrors broader internal conflicts within the party, particularly in the run-up to the 2027 general elections which had seen a battle for dominance between pro-Wike loyalists and mainstream PDP leadership.

In postponing the South-South congress, the NWC had hoped to strategically intervene to prevent an all-out factional war. 

The party has assured members that a new date for the congress will be communicated through its official channels.

The PDP leadership also commended its South-South state governors, stakeholders, and members for remaining loyal to the party’s unity and stability.

For now, the crisis within the South-South PDP remains unresolved, with the next moves from both the Orbih faction and the national leadership likely to determine the party’s future in the region.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE