Some southern leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have disowned a meeting scheduled to hold in Lagos, aimed at making decisions on zoning within the party.
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Kingsley Chinda, disclosed this during a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja, attributing the decision to a unanimous resolution reached by key southern leaders.
Rt. Hon. Chinda attributed this to a unanimous decision and a resolution reached by some key southern leaders of the party, ranging from state chairmen of Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers State, former governors, National Assembly members, present and national working committee members, among others.
According to him, the meeting tagged “PDP Southern Consultative Summit” was allegedly convened on behalf of the three southern geopolitical zones by the party’s Admin secretary, zoning committee, on the behest of the chairman of the committee, Duoye Diri.
The leaders expressed disappointment over the deliberate exclusion of several state chairmen from the South East and South South, as well as the duly elected National Secretary and Deputy National Legal Adviser.
They described the meeting as “illegal, selfish, and exclusionary,” warning that any resolutions or outcomes would not be binding on the party’s members in Southern Nigeria.
The leaders lamented the inexplicable exclusion of national officers, eminent leaders, and critical stakeholders from the South-South and South-East.
They criticised the meeting’s organisers for failing to consult with key stakeholders, describing the process as “premature and targeted at protecting the interest and selfish ambition of a select few”.
The leaders warned that such exclusionary approaches risk undermining the party’s unity and stability.
The PDP leaders urged the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), and all stakeholders to disregard the meeting’s outcomes, describing them as “illegal and divisive”.
They vowed to take appropriate steps in line with the party’s constitution to resist any attempts to impose the meeting’s decisions on the party.
The leaders noted the deliberate omission of former governors from the South-East and South-South, stressing their critical role in party decision-making.
“It is highly regrettable and indeed deeply disturbing that such a meeting was convened without the courtesy of inviting several State Chairmen from the South East and South South, as well as the duly elected National Secretary and Deputy National Legal Adviser of our great party.
“Even more troubling is the inexplicable exclusion of several national officers, eminent leaders, and critical stakeholders of the PDP.
”Shockingly, the Minority Leader in the National Assembly and other principal officers of our party from the South-South and South-East were also deliberately sidelined and denied participation in a meeting where such far-reaching and sensitive decisions on zoning, power rotation, and political equity are to be discussed.
“Take notice that where any iota of regard is given to the outcome of the purported meeting, we shall not hesitate to take appropriate steps in line with our party constitution to resist the same with full force.”
