The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied conducting its South-South Zonal Congress.
According to the party, a reported gathering in Calabar, Cross River State, was not an official event.
This was disclosed in a statement on Saturday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
“The attention of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a reported social gathering in Calabar, Cross River State, where the organisers falsely claimed same to be the South-South Zonal Congress of the PDP.
“To the contrary, the PDP states in clear terms that it has not conducted its South-South Zonal Congress neither is it in any way involved in the said gathering in Calabar”, the statement partly read.
The statement further explained that the party had officially postponed the congress to allow for broader consultations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the NWC at its meeting on Thursday, February 20, 2025, in the exercise of its powers under Section 29 (2)(b), pursuant to Section 31 (2) (c) and (j) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), postponed the conduct of the South-South Zonal Congress from the earlier scheduled date of Saturday, February 22, 2025, so as to allow for further consultation on critical issues relating to the smooth conduct of the Congress in the Zone.
“For clarity, while Section 29 (2)(b) of the PDP Constitution empowers the NWC to ‘in case of emergency, act on behalf of the National Executive Committee subject to the ratification of the National Executive Committee,’ Section 31(2)(c) expressly provides that the National Executive Committee shall ‘supervise and direct the work of the Party and all its organs including the National, Zonal, State and Local Government organs.’
“In the same vein, Section 31(2)(j) empowers the National Executive Committee ‘…to make Party electoral regulations to govern the conduct of elections to all Party offices at every level and regulate procedures for selecting the Party candidates for elective offices’”, the statement further stated.