A major rift has emerged within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as key leaders from Southern Nigeria have distanced themselves from a zoning summit currently taking place in Lagos.
The summit, convened by the party’s Zoning Committee at the Legend Hotel in Ikeja, is intended to discuss power-sharing arrangements within the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) ahead of the party’s upcoming convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, and to prepare for the 2027 general elections.
However, in a joint statement released on Thursday, several state party chairmen, National Assembly members and other prominent southern PDP stakeholders rejected the legitimacy of the summit, describing it as unrepresentative and exclusionary.
“Any resolutions or outcomes from that meeting are not binding on us and do not reflect the collective will of the PDP across Southern Nigeria,” the group said.
“Decisions made in secrecy and exclusion cannot represent consensus.”
The statement was signed by the PDP Chairmen of Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers States; Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah, Venatius Ikem, Aniekan Akpan, and Aaron Chukwuemeka.
Others included the National Vice Chairman (South-East), Hon. Chidiebere Egwu Goodluck, and House Minority Leader, Hon. O.K. Chinda.
Also among the signatories were Senators Igwe Nwagu, Mao Ohuabunwa, George Sekibo and Mike Ama Nnachi, along with former National Secretary Rt. Hon. Onwe S. Onwe, Deputy National Legal Adviser Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha and ex-Ebonyi State Legal Adviser Barr. Mudi Erhenede.
They described the summit titled the “PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit” as flawed from the start, noting that several state chairmen, national officers, and prominent PDP leaders, especially from the South-East and South-South, were not invited.
“It is deeply disturbing that such a meeting took place without informing key state party chairmen and other vital stakeholders,” the statement said.
“Even the National Secretary and Deputy National Legal Adviser were left out, along with several former governors and high-ranking party members.”
The group accused the organizers of acting to promote the personal ambitions of a few individuals rather than the party’s collective interest.
They also noted that the official PDP Zoning Committee has not yet submitted its report to the National Executive Committee (NEC), making any early conclusions from this summit both premature and inappropriate.
They called on the PDP’s National Working Committee, NEC, and all party stakeholders to disregard any outcomes of the Lagos summit, labeling the gathering as “illegal” and “divisive.”
“This process undermines our party’s core principles of inclusiveness and consensus-building,” the group warned.
