Fresh Crisis Rocks PDP
Fresh Crisis Rocks PDP
A fresh crisis is rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a group claiming to be Southern Leaders has distanced itself from an alleged meeting held yesterday in Lagos.
This is even as the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike was conspicuously absent at the summit in Lagos.
Our heritage reports that the group held the meeting in Lagos on Thursday, August 21, 2025, to make decisions on the zoning of party offices ahead of the party’s November elective national convention.
Kicking against the meeting, Kingsley Chinda, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives at the National Assembly, during a press briefing in Abuja, on Thursday said this was due to the “unanimous decision and a resolution reached by some key southern leaders of the party including State Chairmen of Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers Stats, as well as former governors, national assembly members, present and past members of the party’s national working committee NWC, among others.
According to him, the meeting tagged” PDP Southern Consultative Summit” was 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, Governor Duoye Diri, of Bayelsa State.
Chinda lamented that the Diri-led zoning committee has “deliberately excluded the “Southern Leaders” adding that “actions such as this are likely to cause problems within the PDP and as such it is pertinent to address it to avert such incidence”.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State has disclosed that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party will make a decision on zoning and other issues during its meeting on Monday.
Makinde made this known in Lagos during the stakeholders meeting of the zoning committee.
When asked if the issue of micro zoning was discussed, he said: “A decision is coming and it is a NEC decision. This consultative meeting is not something that is statutory in the constitution of PDP. But democracy is inclusivity, reaching out and ensuring that all stakeholders are carried along, which is what we’ve done today.”
When asked how soon a decisive decision on zoning is expected, Makinde said: “NEC is on Monday. Today is Thursday. Our NEC is on Monday; you will definitely have a decision.”
Makinde also disclosed that efforts would be made to reach out to the aggrieved members of the Southern Leaders.
“I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here. It should be about what we are giving to Nigerians because they are watching, you know. We want to give a PDP,” he said.
“You don’t score 100% in politics and quite frankly, they are members of PDP. Consultation means you keep reaching out. We will also reach out and engage and even do more. We’re trying to get all stakeholders, all tendencies in the PDP together so that we can give a credible alternative to Nigerians in the years ahead.”
