Members of the State Executive Council, SEC, of the PDP in Cross River State have moved against the interest of the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike as well as the only senator produced by the party in the state, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe.
Whereas the group in the PDP loyal to Wike had met in Benin last weekend and resolved among other things, that the 2025 zonal elective congress be held in Calabar, Cross River State, on February 22, 2025, the party leaders in the state have rather chosen Port Harcourt as venue for the congress.
A chieftain of the party who spoke to TNN on the grounds of anonymity said the party leaders took the decision because they did not want to align with the Wike group in the PDP.
Rather, according to the source, it would be in the interest of the PDP for them to work with governors elected on the party’s platform, whose preference is Port Harcourt as centre for the congress.
The party chieftain when the SEC met in Calabar on Tuesday, they were unanimous in the decision not to have anything to do with anything with Wike’s imprimatur. The congress is scheduled to hold this Saturday.
After the meeting on Calabar which was presided over by the acting state chairman, Denis Nkiri on Tuesday, the party leaders agreed that:
- As stipulated by the Constitution of our great Party as amended in 2017 (See section 50 sub section 2c, d and e) all Zonal congresses should be conducted at the Zonal Headquarters and in this case, South South Zonal Headquarters is Port Harcourt and all prior Zonal congresses had always been held in Port Harcourt.
- The SEC disassociates itself and rejects outrightly, any purported zonal congresses scheduled to be held in Calabar, Cross River State.
- The SEC reassures that, it will continue to be guided strictly by the provisions of the Constitution of our great Party the PDP (as amended in 2017), Operational Guidelines, the Rule of Law and the vision of our founding fathers for the stability and growth of the Party, entrenchment of democracy and well-being of Nigerians.
- In this forthcoming 2025 Zonal Congresses, the SEC aligns with the views and decisions of the South South Governors Forum.
The party leaders also “implored all the leaders of the Party, to be very sacrificial and accommodating of all shades of opinions, interests and aspirations in our drive to elect credible officers to run the affairs of the Party from the forthcoming South South Zonal Congresses, which would serve as the hallmark for the victory of the Party in the South South zone.”
