The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria has intensified over the South-South zonal congress initially scheduled for today, February 22, 2025. Conflicting directives from the party’s leadership, legal interventions, and internal divisions have thrown the congress into uncertainty.
On Thursday, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, announced the postponement of the congress, citing the need for further consultations to ensure a smooth electoral process. He confirmed that while the South-East and North-East congresses would proceed as planned, a new date would be set for the South-South exercise.
However, the South-South Zonal Executive of the PDP, through its Organising Secretary, Ekom Akonjom, rejected the postponement, insisting the congress would proceed as scheduled. Akonjom argued that Ologunagba lacked the authority to make such a decision, emphasizing that the National Working Committee (NWC) could not interfere in zonal matters under the party’s constitution.
Further complicating matters, a Rivers State High Court issued an interim injunction barring the congress from taking place anywhere in Nigeria. The ruling followed a suit filed by PDP members Tony Ejiogu and Field Nkoro, who challenged the congress’s legality. Justice G.V. Obomanu ordered all parties to maintain the status quo ante litem as of February 20, pending the determination of the case.
Adding to the turmoil, key PDP leaders from the South-South, including state party chairmen, distanced themselves from the congress, instead expressing confidence in the four PDP governors in the region. In a joint statement, they condemned what they described as “political gangsterism” and attempts to manipulate the party’s structure. The leaders argued that any congress held without the governors’ approval would be deemed illegal and unacceptable.
They also reaffirmed support for the embattled South-South Zonal Secretary, Prof. Felix Omemu, who they claimed was unlawfully removed. The leaders accused certain individuals of fueling internal discord for personal gains, warning that the PDP’s stability in the region was at stake.
With conflicting directives, legal battles, and internal resistance, the fate of the South-South zonal congress remains uncertain, deepening the PDP’s ongoing crisis.
