Crisis is brewing in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as some leaders from the South-East and South-South have kicked against what they described as a “clandestine” zoning meeting scheduled to hold in Lagos on Thursday.
The aggrieved party leaders, including state chairmen, lawmakers and former governors, accused Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, who chairs the PDP zoning committee, of convening the meeting through the panel’s administrative secretary, Tombra Jumbo, without due consultation with critical stakeholders.
Their protest comes barely a week after the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) inaugurated a 44-member zoning panel to allocate key offices ahead of the PDP’s elective national convention slated for November 15 and 16.
In a strongly worded statement, the leaders warned that any decisions reached at the Lagos meeting would be rejected, insisting that the process smacks of exclusion and disregard for the party’s structures.
“Even more troubling is the inexplicable exclusion of several national officers, eminent leaders, and critical stakeholders of the PDP,” the statement read.
They particularly frowned at what they termed the “deliberate sidelining” of the Minority Leader of the National Assembly, other principal officers, and most former governors from the South-East and South-South, describing the move as a brazen attempt to weaken the collective strength of the party.
The leaders maintained that such “secrecy and exclusionary tactics” not only undermine the PDP’s tradition of inclusivity and consultation but also threaten its unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we categorically dismiss any resolutions, communiqués, or outcomes purportedly emanating from this meeting as neither binding on nor reflective of the collective will and aspirations of the PDP family across Southern Nigeria,” the statement declared.
They further alleged that the planned summit was “premature” and targeted at protecting the political interests of a select few, warning that it was capable of fueling distrust and divisions in the party.
The statement was jointly signed by PDP state chairmen including Austin Nwachukwu (Imo), Abraham Amah (Abia), Venatius Ikem (Cross River), Aniekan Akpan (Akwa Ibom), and Aaron Chukwuemeka (Rivers).
The aggrieved leaders called on the NWC, the National Executive Committee (NEC) and other stakeholders to disregard any outcome of the Lagos meeting, vowing to resist “every attempt to manipulate zoning arrangements through backdoor manoeuvres.”
They reaffirmed their loyalty to the party but warned that only a transparent and inclusive zoning process would preserve the PDP’s cohesion and electoral fortunes.
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