PDP Leaders Reject Lagos Zoning Meeting, Describe It as “Illegal and Divisive”
A major rift has emerged within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Southern Nigeria as several state chairmen, former governors, National Assembly members, and other top stakeholders have openly disowned a meeting scheduled in Lagos on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
The controversial meeting, tagged the “PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit” and convened by the Zoning Committee led by Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, was aimed at discussing zoning arrangements for key party positions.
But in a strongly worded statement, PDP leaders from the South described the gathering as illegal, exclusionary, and unrepresentative of the collective will of the party.
Stakeholders Who Signed the Rejection
The statement was signed by five state chairmen:
Austin Nwachukwu (Imo)
Abraham Amah (Abia)
Venatius Ikem (Cross River)
Aniekan Akpan (Akwa Ibom)
Aaron Chukwuemeka (Rivers)
Other signatories include Hon. Chidiebere Egwu Goodluck (National Vice Chairman, South-East), Hon. O. K. Chinda (House of Reps Minority Leader), as well as Senators Igwe Nwagu, Mao Ohuabunwa, George Sekibo, Mike Ama Nnachi, former National Secretary Onwe S. Onwe, and several legal advisers and party officials.
The PDP leaders condemned the Lagos summit for failing to invite key state chairmen, elected national officers, and principal lawmakers from the South-East and South-South. They also noted the deliberate exclusion of former governors, who they described as “critical stakeholders in shaping the party’s direction.”
According to them, such actions amount to “a brazen disregard for the party’s established structures and democratic ethos.”
Decisions reached in secrecy and exclusion cannot and shall not assume the authority of consensus. Any outcome of this meeting is not binding on the PDP family in Southern Nigeria.
The stakeholders accused the conveners of pursuing selfish political ambitions, warning that the move could fuel division at a time when unity is crucial for the PDP’s survival ahead of future elections.
They reaffirmed their loyalty to the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), urging all members to ignore the Lagos meeting.
If any regard is given to the outcome of the purported summit, we shall not hesitate to resist it with full force in line with the party’s constitution.
PDP Leaders Reject Lagos Zoning Meeting, Describe It as “Illegal and Divisive”
A major rift has emerged within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Southern Nigeria as several state chairmen, former governors, National Assembly members, and other top stakeholders have openly disowned a meeting scheduled in Lagos on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
The controversial meeting, tagged the “PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit” and convened by the Zoning Committee led by Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, was aimed at discussing zoning arrangements for key party positions.
But in a strongly worded statement, PDP leaders from the South described the gathering as illegal, exclusionary, and unrepresentative of the collective will of the party.
Stakeholders Who Signed the Rejection
The statement was signed by five state chairmen:
Austin Nwachukwu (Imo)
Abraham Amah (Abia)
Venatius Ikem (Cross River)
Aniekan Akpan (Akwa Ibom)
Aaron Chukwuemeka (Rivers)
Other signatories include Hon. Chidiebere Egwu Goodluck (National Vice Chairman, South-East), Hon. O. K. Chinda (House of Reps Minority Leader), as well as Senators Igwe Nwagu, Mao Ohuabunwa, George Sekibo, Mike Ama Nnachi, former National Secretary Onwe S. Onwe, and several legal advisers and party officials.
The PDP leaders condemned the Lagos summit for failing to invite key state chairmen, elected national officers, and principal lawmakers from the South-East and South-South. They also noted the deliberate exclusion of former governors, who they described as “critical stakeholders in shaping the party’s direction.”
According to them, such actions amount to “a brazen disregard for the party’s established structures and democratic ethos.”
Decisions reached in secrecy and exclusion cannot and shall not assume the authority of consensus. Any outcome of this meeting is not binding on the PDP family in Southern Nigeria.
The stakeholders accused the conveners of pursuing selfish political ambitions, warning that the move could fuel division at a time when unity is crucial for the PDP’s survival ahead of future elections.
They reaffirmed their loyalty to the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), urging all members to ignore the Lagos meeting.
If any regard is given to the outcome of the purported summit, we shall not hesitate to resist it with full force in line with the party’s constitution.
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