Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The crisis in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened yesterday as the South-South Zone of the party rebuked the National Working Committee (NWC) for overreaching itself by appointing a caretaker committee for the zone, insisting that the recent zonal congress held in Calabar, the Cross River State capital was constitutional.

This is just as former vice president and presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has denied reports that he had dumped the party, saying he has no plans to leave the PDP.
He renewed his support for a coalition of political parties to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
The NWC had on Friday rejected the zonal congress of the South-South Zonal Executive two weeks ago and appointed a caretaker committee headed by Mr. Emma Ogidi from Delta State.

But reacting to the appointment of the caretaker committee and the nullification of the zonal congress, the South-South Zonal Publicity Secretary, Prince Etim Isong, in a statement, insisted that the decision of the PDP NWC to invalidate the zonal congress ran against judicial precedents that allowed states and zonal structures of the party to organise themselves.

He argued that the PDP operates under a well-defined constitution that provides clear guidelines for the smooth operation of the party at all levels.
 “The recent statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, announcing the purported appointment of a South-South Zonal Caretaker Committee is a gross violation of the PDP’s Constitution and an affront to the rule of law.

”The PDP Constitution explicitly outlines the processes for electing zonal officers and managing zonal affairs. According to Section 28(2)(b) of the PDP Constitution, the Zonal Congress is the only body empowered to elect officers of the Zonal Working Committee.
”Furthermore, Section 28(3) provides that the zonal congress shall meet at the instance of the National Vice Chairman from the zone. Additionally, Section 27(2)(c) clearly defines the Zonal Executive Committee as the only organ empowered to summon the Zonal Congress and prepare its agenda, while Section 27(3) mandates that the meeting of the Zonal Executive Committee shall be at the instance of the National Vice Chairman.

”In strict adherence to these provisions, on February 15, 2025, the South-south Zonal Chapter of the PDP held its Zonal Executive Committee meeting in Benin, Edo State, at the instance of the National Vice Chairman from the Zone, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, as required by Section 27(3) of the PDP Constitution.

”During this meeting, the Zonal Executive Committee approved February 22, 2025, for the meeting of the Zonal Congress, in line with Section 27(2)(c). On the said date, the Zonal Congress, exercising its powers as provided in Section 28(2)(b), duly elected officers of the South-south Zonal Working Committee, including Chief Dan Osi Orbih as National Vice Chairman and Barrister George Turner as Zonal Secretary.

”Prior to the conduct of this congress, the party informed the Independent National Electoral Commission which sent its staff to monitor the exercise in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act,” he explained.
Isong said it was shocking and unacceptable that an officer of the NWC, Ologunagba, who claims to be a lawyer, would overreach his constitutional mandate to announce a purported appointment of a Zonal Caretaker Committee to assume positions that are not vacant.

“By the provisions of Section 33(2) of the PDP Constitution, only the National Convention, as the supreme controlling organ of the party, enjoys the powers to invalidate the actions or decisions of a zonal congress.
”Furthermore, Section 29(2)(a) stipulates that the National Working Committee is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the party at the national level and operates under the control of the National Executive Committee. While Section 29(2)(b) empowers the NWC to act on behalf of the NEC in emergencies, it explicitly states that such actions are subject to ratification by the NEC. In other words, the NWC cannot hide under the guise of an “emergency” to perpetrate illegality,” the zonal publicity secretary further explained.
According to him, this is not the first time the NWC attempted to overstep its bounds, adding that judicial precedents had consistently reaffirmed the limits of its powers.
He recalled that in 2012, the Adebayo Dayo-led State Executive Committee of the Ogun State Chapter of PDP dragged the NWC to the Federal High Court in Lagos in suit number FHC/L/CS/347/2012, over the powers of the State Executive Committee to conduct the Ogun State Congress without the directive, involvement, or sanctioning of the NWC.
According to him, the Ogun State chapter of the party got a favourable judgment against the NWC, which was upheld by the Supreme Court.
He added that in 2016, the Federal High Court in Lagos, in a judgment delivered on suit number FHC/L/CS/636/2016 reaffirmed that the power to summon congresses resides with the party’s respective executive committees, relying on the 2012 judgment.
“In 2020, the Uche Secondus-led NWC instituted a fresh suit on the same subject before Justice Iyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice Ekwo dismissed the suit as frivolous, noting it had been determined in 2016, and ruled that only the executive committees at the respective levels are empowered to summon congresses at those levels,” he added.
He called on all party leaders, stakeholders, and members in the South-South Zone to disregard what he described as this illegal action and continue to work together in the overall interest of the party, in line with the provisions of the PDP Constitution and the rule of law.

Atiku Debunks Defection Report, Advocates Coalition to Sack APC

Meanwhile, Atiku has denied reports that he had dumped the PDP and renewed his support for a coalition of political parties to defeat the APC in 2027.
Recently, various reports suggested that Atiku was considering leaving the PDP in preparation for the 2027 presidential election.
The reports said he was finalising moves to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Reacting to the reports in a statement yesterday, Atiku’s media office said the former vice president remains a bonafide member of the PDP and that the reports were a complete fallacy without any logical basis.
The statement stated that he was busy organising a strong coalition to ensure that the ruling APC is ousted from office by 2027.
”We wish to clarify that the so-called news of Atiku defecting to another party is a total fallacy that holds no merit in logic,” said the statement signed by Mr. Paul Ibe.
The statement noted that “Atiku had persistently called for a coalition of opposition political parties in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election to oust the incompetent and pain-inflicting All Progressives Congress, to give Nigerians a new lease of life.”