PDP declares Cross River congress ‘illegal’, warns of sanctions
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed claims that a state congress was held in Cross River State, describing any such exercise as “illegal, a hallucination, and a mere carnival.”
The party insisted that the process had been formally postponed by the National Working Committee (NWC), warning that members behind the purported gathering risk disciplinary action.
Briefing journalists in Abuja on Monday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba—who also serves as Secretary of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC)—stated that no congress took place in Cross River, Plateau, or Kebbi States, as the NWC had shifted the exercise after due consideration.
Ologunagba explained that congresses must follow a defined procedure: approval of dates by the NWC and NEC, 21-day notification to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), constitution of an electoral panel to conduct the exercise, and an appeal panel to review disputes. He stressed that none of these steps, particularly the formation of an electoral panel, had been undertaken.
Asked if the party would sanction those who organised the alleged exercise in Calabar, Ologunagba said the constitution of the party would guide appropriate measures, warning against attempts to derail preparations for the forthcoming national convention.
He also dismissed reports of a crisis following conflicting correspondences to INEC from the National Chairman and National Secretary, insisting that the NWC acted unanimously in postponing the congresses.
On INEC’s role, he noted that the commission had been duly notified in line with legal requirements.
Responding to comments credited to Professor Jerry Gana suggesting that former President Goodluck Jonathan could contest the 2027 presidential election on the PDP platform, Ologunagba distanced the party from such speculation. He urged Nigerians to assess the PDP by comparing the performance of its governors with those of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The spokesman further announced that the NCOC had constituted 15 sub-committees—including Electoral, Screening, Screening Appeals, Venue, Transportation, Publicity, Accreditation, Security, Protocol, Medical, Accommodation, Entertainment and Welfare, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Constitutional Amendment—to ensure an inclusive and transparent process.
He added that congresses had been successfully concluded in Oyo and Adamawa States, while the South-South Zonal Working Committee, led by Elder Eman Okin, would continue to oversee affairs in Cross River until new dates are announced.
