In contrast to rumors that the South-South Zonal Elective Congress was held, Umar Damagum, the acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has maintained that the party has not held the exercise.
During the South-South Zonal Caretaker Committee’s inauguration on Thursday at the PDP National Headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, Damagum reportedly made this declaration.
The party allegedly convened the zonal congress on February 22, and his statements go counter to those occurrences. Dan Orbih, a supporter of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, was proclaimed the National Vice Chairman for the South-South by Vita Abba, the chairman of the electoral committee, during that congress, after he received 174 votes.
Wike insisted that the procedure was lawful and final while attending the congress in Calabar. He reiterated that the PDP’s greatest base is still in the South-South and ruled out the idea of a new congress, maintaining that Orbih’s leadership remained valid.
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Four South-South governors were not present at the convention, though, which indicated internal party strife.
On March 7, Emma Ogidi was named Chairman of the Caretaker Committee by the Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC), which also rescheduled the zonal congress for April 12 and sacked Wike.
“From the NWC’s perspective, the South-South Zonal Congress has not been held,” Damagum said during his inauguration speech. Their term is over, thus today we are forming a Caretaker Committee.
Key party leaders, including National Secretary Sunday Ude-Okoye, former PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, and PDP Board of Trustees Chairman Adolphus Wabara, were present at the occasion.
