…says congress still holding as scheduled
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The South-South zonal executives of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has countered the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba over his claim that the weekend zonal congress has been postponed, affirming that he has no power to so direct.
The South-South zonal organising secretary, Arch. Ekom Akonjom in a statement issued on Friday, February 21, 2025 urged party stakeholders and all those supposed to be at the congress to disregard the assertions of Ologunagba on the strength that he or the National Working Committee does not have the power to interfere with the workings of the Zonal Executive.
Even more, Akonjom affirmed that Olgounagba was on a personal errand as he said that there was no meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC where the issue was discussed.
He said:
PDP South South Zonal Congress Will Proceed as Scheduled; NWC Lacks Authority to Postpone
We have noted a statement from our Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, claiming the South South Zonal Congress in Calabar, Cross River State, on February 22, 2025, has been postponed. While it is his duty to convey party information, it must align with our Party’s Constitution.
To clarify, the South South Zonal Congress, which was approved by the zonal executive committee, will take place as scheduled. We urge the public and our delegates to ignore the statement from the National Publicity Secretary. The National Working Committee does not possess the authority to summon zonal Congresses, as specified in Article 27 (2) (c) of the Party’s Constitution.
Furthermore, there has been no convening of the National Working Committee to discuss postponing the South South Zonal Congress. The National Vice Chairman for the South South, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, is a member of the NWC, and he has been unaware of the convening of any such meeting. This raises concerns about the motives behind the false claims regarding the postponement of a Congress that the Publicity Secretary cannot Constitutionally summon.
We wish our delegates safe travels to Calabar, as the zonal Congress is set to go ahead as planned.