₦airaland Forum

The South South Zonal Working Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday, 22 April 2025, approved the appointment of Caretaker Committees to oversee the affairs of Party in Bayelsa and Edo States respectively for a period of three (3) months.

The decision, effective Tuesday, was made known at the end of a Zonal Working Committee meeting presided over by Chief Dan Orbih, national vice-chairman of the party.

The decision to set up Caretaker Committees for both States follows the dissolution of the State Working Committee of Bayelsa State and the Caretaker Committee in Edo State on account of what the PDP zonal working committee described as various acts of gross misconduct by the dissolved Executives which it said were in clear breach of the Party’s Constitution and also, the poor handling of internal crises rocking the Party in both States.


For Edo State, the ZWC said it also took into reckoning the poor performance and woeful outing by the Party in Edo State at the last Governorship elections.


A statement issued by the Zonal Publicity Secretary, Prince Etim Isong said the Zonal Working Committee took these decisions in the best interest of the Party after a careful review of the activities of the Party in both States in line with the Constitution of the Party as amended in 2017, particularly Articles 10(1),(f),(g),(k), and (4) as well as Articles 26(2),(a), 27(2)(a&b), 58(1),(a),(c),(i),(j), and 59(1)(f)

“The Zonal Working Committee hopes that this bold move will strengthen the Party’s (PDP) foundation and ensure effective leadership in both Bayelsa and Edo States, respectively.

Giving the details of the newly appointed Bayelsa and Edo States Working Committee members serving in Caretaker capacity, the zonal spokesman said:

BAYELSA STATE:

1. George Turnah, MON – South South Zonal Secretary / Caretaker Chairman, Bayelsa State Working Committee

2. Tony Gabriel – Deputy Chairman

3. Ebilade Ekerefe – Secretary

4. Didi Ebiekake Werilaghebofa – Vice Chairman, Central

5. Andy Majors – Vice Chairman, East

6. Evelyn Bolouebi Odi – Vice Chairman, West

7. Biobelemoye Igoniwari – Treasurer

8. Awudumapu Agorodi Esq – Legal Adviser

9. Erepagamo Eke – Spiff – Financial Secretary

10. Amain Oyeintariperedei – Auditor

11. Derri Alasuote Wright – Publicity Secretary

12. Christian Koffah Akuraku – Organizing Secretary

13. Ato Alfreda – Woman Leader

14. Nicholas Eferebo – Youth Leader

EDO STATE:

1. Hon. Nosa Ogieva – Chairman

2. Chief Sunny Okomayin – Deputy Chairman

3. Hillary Otsu – Secretary

4. Nosa Iseleomon – Vice Chairman South

5. Ehisota Oriakhi – Vice Chairman Central

6. Richard Ehimigbai – Vice Chairman North

7. Mrs. Tes Sorae – Woman Leader

8. Benjamin Ehinlebodiaye – Treasurer

9. Emma Akhaba – Auditor

10. Daniel Okojie – Organizing Secretary

11. Bob-Manuel Umoru – Publicity Secretary

12. William Umoru – Legal Adviser

13. Moses Izobo – Financial Secretary

14. Destiny Oreye – Youth Leader

Concluding, the zonal publicity scribe said:

“The National Vice Chairman for the South South Zone Chief Orbih equally emphasizes the importance of unity and discipline within the Party as he calls on the newly appointed Party leaders to pursue genuine reconciliation among members to foster the cohesion necessary for repositioning the Party for future political success in both States.”

Penaldo:
True!
1. The Congress followed the guidelines and constitution of the party. SC said parties are bound by their internal procedures as written in their constitution.

2. The order issued by Ekwo is not exparte, and still subsists.

3. The respondents, PDP NWC, is yet to show cause why that order shouldn't stand

fergie001:
The Orbih-led SS Zonal Committee of the PDP was dissolved in March 2025 by the National Secretariat.

Penaldo:
Dissolved by who? A Federal High Court ruled that they are the legal executives

Penaldo:
Dissolved by who? A Federal High Court ruled that they are the legal executives

tnerro1:
It will get to the Supreme Court and it will say as usual that the federal high court has no jurisdiction in the matter, it is the internal affairs of the said party

Penaldo:
Let it get to the Supreme Court first. The FHC ruling subsists until vacated by Superior Court

Penaldo:
Dissolved by who? A Federal High Court ruled that they are the legal executives

Ikaeniyan0:
A waste of time. They have no power to carry out this actions.

The PDP governors are now in control of the party structure.

Jones4190:
wike is a strong man,

anonimi:
2023: PDP and politics of healing Wike’s self-inflicted injury

Then, the race began in earnest for three years now, reaching a frenzy with the works of the two PDP committees on zoning. The first was the Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi committee on the zoning of the PDP party offices. The Ugwuanyi committee quickly told the world the committee’s assignment did not cover zoning the office of the president. Though this was true, the question is: why didn’t the Ugwuanyi committee zone the PDP chairmanship to the North without aligning it to the divide that would produce the PDP presidential flag-bearer? The second committee headed by Gov Samuel Ortom of Benue state was specifically on the zoning of the presidential ticket and, with the votes of the representatives of all the 17 Southern states without any exception, the Committee unanimously recommended throwing open the PDP presidential ticket, which the PDP NEC simply upheld.

One thing irrefutably stands out – Wike shot himself in the leg. Here was a man who had an overarching influence on both committees but could not insist that the ticket be zoned South. Many had wondered why? The reason is also relatively in plain sight: the Southeast factor. As the clamour for zoning of the presidential ticket of the PDP to South reached its crescendo, many had pointed out the fact that though the PDP Constitution had prescribed zoning of the office of the president to be between North and South since the South-west and South-south had taken their turns in producing the president and the vice in this current dispensation in the persons of Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, zoning this time around, should not just be to the South but the Southeast.

Atiku Abubakar went a step further by offering to step down from the race if it would be agreed that the touted zoning to the South would mean micro-zoning to the Southeast. Wike and the rest could not take the Atiku challenge maybe because Atiku would likely back Peter Obi, who was his vice-presidential running mate in 2019 and an ally. The prospects of Peter Obi picking the ticket if PDP zoned South was so real compelling Wike to go for an open contest, believing he could pick it up ahead of Atiku, Tambuwal and Bala Mohammed, given his large war chest.

https://www.thecable.ng/2023-pdp-and-politics-of-healing-wikes-self-inflicted-injury/amp