A coalition of prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders from Southern Nigeria has distanced itself from a zoning consultation meeting slated for Lagos on Thursday, declaring any resolutions from the gathering “null and void.”
The meeting, tagged the “PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit” and scheduled to hold at the Legend Hotel in Ikeja, was convened to deliberate on zoning arrangements within the party. However, several top PDP figures—including state chairmen, former governors, members of the National Assembly, and senior party officials—condemned the summit, describing it as an exercise in “secrecy and exclusion” aimed at advancing “the selfish ambition of a select few.”
In a strongly worded statement titled “Re: Purported Meeting of PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit,” the leaders dismissed the gathering as illegitimate and divisive.
“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 read.
The document was endorsed by the PDP state chairmen of Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers States, alongside the National Vice Chairman (South-East), the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. O.K. Chinda, and Senators Igwe Nwagu, Mao Ohuabunwa, George Sekibo, among others.
The leaders criticised the organisers for sidelining key stakeholders, including former governors who, according to them, have historically played pivotal roles in shaping the party’s direction.
“Such a brazen disregard for established structures and statutory organs of the PDP not only offends the spirit of collective decision-making but also risks undermining the very foundation upon which our party was built,” they warned.
Reaffirming their commitment to the PDP’s founding principles of inclusivity, equity, and collective responsibility, the coalition stressed that exclusionary politics threatens the party’s unity and credibility.
“We 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,” the statement added.
The leaders urged members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) to ignore any resolutions emerging from the Lagos meeting, branding it “illegal” and divisive.
They further cautioned that any attempt to legitimise the summit’s outcome would be met with strong resistance: “We will not hesitate to take appropriate steps in line with our party constitution to resist same with full force.”
With this firm position, the Southern PDP leaders underscored the need for collaboration, transparency, and inclusivity in charting the party’s future.
