ν We won’t go into gutters with Wike, says Gov Makinde
ν Opposition party’s chieftains meet in Lagos, insist on Monday NEC
Ahead of the meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has aimed a salvo at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his statement that the South South zonal chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, must not be removed.
“Personally, when people go low or they go into the gutters, I don’t go with them,”
Makinde said in Lagos during the stakeholders meeting of the zoning committee, yesterday. He was responding to a question on the statement made by the former Rivers State governor.
Addressing the media last week, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, while responding to the demand by Wike for the recognition of Chief Orbih as PDP National Vice Chairman, South South, explained that following the expiration of the tenure of the South South Zonal Working Committee, in March, the party in line with its rules set up a caretaker committee, headed by Elder Emma Ogidi, pending the conduct of a zonal Congress.
The opposition spokesman maintained that the PDP will continue to abide by its constitution and would not accept any condition from anyone.
Meanwhile, Makinde has confirmed that NEC will make a decision on zoning and other issues during its meeting on Monday. 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.”
On how soon a 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.”
On the issue about the South producing the next presidential candidate for the party, Makinde replied: “We haven’t even gotten there. We need to have a party first before you start talking about presidential candidates. If we don’t have a party, anything that you’re trying to do will fall flat. So our efforts right now are directed towards having a united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and again will believe in.”
Makinde said the party is focused on ensuring its survival and said the caliber of those who attended the meeting is an indication that the party is still vibrant.
“We have just finished the consultative meeting of the PDP zoning committee for the south. The south has taken far-reaching decisions, and in the days ahead leading to our NEC, wider consultations will also take place, and we are sure that those that have been saying all around that PDP is dead and is now a carcass, at least with the caliber of the people that you’ve seen here, sitting governors, former governors, leaders and elders, the former senate president, chairman of BOT, are all here and committed to PDP taking back its rightful position in Nigeria. So, in the days ahead, some of the things discussed here, you’ll see them unfold.
“Governor Ademola Adeleke came back into this country and he went straight to Osogbo to address some governance issues. But he said whatever we decide here is with us.
“Governor Douye Diri is here. Governor Peter Mbah, who couldn’t make it physically sent the deputy governor. You have the chairman of our board of trustees here. You also have at least 12 of the 17 members of the zoning committee from the south. It’s one per state. So you have 12 states here. You have in each zone, you have House of Representatives members here. You have senators from each zone in the south, the three zones.
“You have BoT members from the three zones in the south. So, yes, I won’t say maybe the organisers will score 100 percent. You don’t score 100 percent 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.”
On efforts party leaders were making to reach out to aggrieved members, he said: “We will reach out to them. That is democracy. 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. In Oyo state, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead. In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second in each of those. It’s some indication to us that if we continue to work hard, if we continue to strive hard, if we continue to bring our people together, we’ll get to a point where Nigerians will really start listening to us.”
Those who attended the meeting included immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel, former PDP deputy national chairman, Bode George, BoT chairman, Adolphus Wabara and Senator Ben Obi.
Earlier on, some leaders of the party from the South held a press conference in Abuja, distancing themselves from the zoning meeting held in Lagos, describing it as exclusionary and unrepresentative of the party’s collective interest.
They expressed concern that such a meeting could be convened without inviting state chairmen from the South-East, South-South and key national officers, including the National Secretary and Deputy National Legal Adviser. Even more concerning, they said, was the exclusion of serving and former governors, as well as principal officers of the National Assembly, from the region.
The leaders insisted that the Lagos parley was premature, stressing that the zoning committee set up by the party’s 101st NEC was still working on its report, which is expected to be submitted to the NEC for ratification.
In a statement titled “Re: Purported meeting of PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit,” the state chairmen from Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers—Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah, Venatuis Ikem, Aniekan Akpan, and Aaron Chukwuemeka—along with other senior party figures, expressed regret over the handling of the summit. “Such a brazen disregard for established structures and statutory organs of the PDP… risks undermining the very foundation upon which our party was built.”
Also signing the statement were National Vice Chairman (South-East) Chidiebere Goodluck, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives O. K. Chinda, Senators Igwe Nwagu, Mao Ohuabunwa, George Sekibo, Mike Ama Nnachi, former National Secretary, Onwe Onwe, Deputy National Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, former Ebonyi State, Legal Adviser Mudi Erhenede and others.
The leaders criticised the exclusion of several state chairmen, former governors, national officers, and principal party lawmakers from the South-East and South-South who were not invited to the summit convened at the Legend Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. They warned that decisions reached in secrecy and exclusion cannot and shall not assume the authority of consensus.
“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,” the statement said. It further condemned the summit as “premature and targeted at protecting the interest and selfish ambition of a select few.”
The PDP leaders reaffirmed their commitment to party unity and fairness, calling on all well-meaning stakeholders to resist manipulative zoning arrangements. They declared, “The South East and South South zones, alongside our counterparts in the South West, remain united in the pursuit of fairness, justice, and equity — the very ideals that have sustained our party’s relevance and credibility over the years.”
As custodians of their members’ mandate, they vowed to defend the integrity of the PDP and ensure any decisions on zoning were reached through proper consultation, transparency, and inclusiveness. They urged the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), and all party stakeholders to disregard the outcomes of the disputed meeting, labeling it illegal and divisive.
“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 same with full force,” the statement concluded.
Credit: The Sun