The lingering crisis rocking the South South zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is getting messier by the day as the Bayelsa State Executive Working Committee led by Solomon Agwanana, which was purportedly sacked by the Dan Orbih led zonal committee has rejected the move.
In a statement by the publicity secretary of the party in the state, Ebiye Agu Ogoli, he said the Dan Orbih led zonal excos has no such powers to dissolve the state excos as the tenure of the zonal executives led by Orbih, has since elapsed on the 13th Of March, 2025.
The South South Zonal Working Committee of the party had on Tuesday, 22 April 2025, dissolved the working committed of both Edo and Bayelsa State and approved the appointment of Caretaker Committees to oversee the affairs of both states respectively for a period of three months.
The decision, which the zonal body said was effective from 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 statement signed by the Zonal Publicity Secretary, Prince Etim Isong said 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.
The zone equally announced George Turnah, the South South Zonal Secretary as the Caretaker Chairman, Bayelsa State Working Committee, Tony Gabriel as Deputy Chairman, while Ebilade Ekerefe , will act as Secretary.
But in a reaction by the state publicity secretary of the party, said in as much as the matter was intentionally mischievous and ludicrous, the State chapter of the will respond appropriately to the issues raised by those he regarded as misguided fellows in order to tell the truth.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Bayelsa State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a frivolous story making the rounds of the State Working Committee of the PDP headed by Hon. Solomon Agwana (JP) has been dissolved and that in its place a State Caretaker Committee has been appointed by the illegal factional Zonal Executive Committee headed by Chief Dan Orbih.
“To start with, the tenure of the former Zonal Executive Committee of the PDP elapsed on the 13th Of March, 2025 and inorder to avoid a vacuum a Caretaker Committee was appointed and constituted by the National Working Committee (NWC) on the 13th March, 2025 and headed by the highly respected Chief Emmanuel Ogidi to oversee the affairs of the Party pending the convocation of an Elective South South Zonal Congress of the Party.
“Additionally, the National Working Committee (NWC) had equally pronounced the factional Zonal PDP congress which held in Calabar, Cross River State that produced Chief Dan Orbih and his ilk as unconstitutional and a nullity. We also place it on record that the Zonal EXCO of the Party even when it is properly constituted still lacks the constitutional powers to dissolve a State Working Committee of the party.
“Similarly, the State High Court which sat in respect of the suspension of Mr. George Turnah has yet to determine the case and in which case Mr. George Turnah still remains suspended from membership of the PDP in the State.
“It is therefore, shameful that George Turnah whose greed knows no bounds who used to be the Zonal Legal Adviser surreptitiously took over the office of the former Zonal Secretary of the Party, Prof. Felix Omemu, who was a close friend, brother and confidant. Not satisfied with his greed, he has today announced himself as the New State Chairman of a Caretaker Committee.
“We wish to admonish Bayelsans especially the youth to be wary of Mr. George Turnah’s under hand dealings and desist from joining forces with him to create division, disaffection and chaos in our party.
“2027 is months away and we should resist the plans by outside forces to destabilize our dear state.”
Also in the 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,” the spokesman added.