Wike Dares PDP NWC; Insists Another Zonal Congress Will Not Hold In South-South Zone

• As Party Govs, Chieftains shun Calabar summit

BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) further escalated at the weekend with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, challenging the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC) that no other Zonal congress will hold in the South-South region.

According to the former Rivers State governor, besides the one held on Saturday, February 22, 2025 in Calabar, Cross River State capital, the region is not ready for another Congress by whatever name it may be called.

This is as governors elected on the Party’s platform shunned the Zonal Congress with noticeable absentees being Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom; Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State; and Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State as well as former governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke

Wike, who made the declaration in a goodwill message at the Congress, said there has never been a time where every delegate participated in the Party’s Congress or Convention and the Saturday’s event is no exception.

The FCT Minister, considered a strong pillar of support for PDP in the Zone, said the successful hosting of the Congress has put an end to the era of impunity and imposition as the new Zonal executive must strive to uphold due process and democratic approach in all its decision making process.

He frowned at a situation where a few individuals, who do not contribute to the Party’s wellbeing, are always working behind the scene to ensure their selfish decisions are forced down the throats of the majority

Charging delegates to elect officials who will defend and protect the party, Wike said; “The South-South Zone is the strongest zone of the PDP in Nigeria. It has always been and will always be. There is no part of the constitution that says Congress should be postponed because of a wedding or travelling.

“There has never been a Congress where every every delegate was present. The constitution did not say the National Working Committee should conduct a congress but the zone. I want to assure you that this is the final Zonal congress of the South-South Zone, after the election today, no other Zonal congress will hold.

“This is our job, our terrain, and we are not new to this. Nobody can intimidate me and I don’t need to be a governor. Let us put ourselves together in truth and ensure our party remains united and we can only be united when we are truthful. Let us also shine our eyes and elect leaders that will unite and protect our party.”

He charged the new Zonal Executives to immediately swing into action to reposition the party for progress ahead of the next general elections in 2027.

In his acceptance speech, the new National Vice Chairman of South- South zone, Chief Dan Obih assured party faithfuls that the new Executive would focus on doing what is good to develop and bring the party back to national reckoning.

He also said their jobs as leaders of the main opposition party would not be reduced to mere criticisms with no tangible contribution to the growth of the collective interest of everyone,

Noting that constructive criticisms are normal in every political setting, Chief Obih however said; “Our experience has shown most of the time such criticisms are anchored purely on the platform of selfish interest”.

On the current crisis, Chief Orbih lamented that PDP’s problems in the zone are self-inflicted, insisting that the party should not define the company one keeps, even as he expressed optimism that the Congress will help kick-start the rebuilding process and reposition the party for better days ahead.

Meanwhile, the PDP’s NWC has since distanced itself from the Calabar Congress where the 10 member new executives were purportedly elected.

The absence of high calibre PDP stakeholders and stalwarts at the Congress further fueled speculations that the dust raised by the crisis rocking the party at the national level is having peripheral effects on states controlled by the party,

Aside from the FCT Minister, other noticeable Party’s stalwarts at the Congress were former Governor of Cross River State, Dr Donald Duke, and the PDP’s gubernatorial flag-bearer in the 2023 general elections, Senator (Prof) Sandy Onoh.