PDP disowns Ologunagba, says NWC yet to meet on court ruling on Rivers chapter excos

The Peoples Democratic Party has said the National Working Committee has not yet met on the court ruling on the Rivers State executives of the party, despite claims by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.

At a press conference in Abuja on Friday, PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the party was not comfortable with Ologunagba’s actions, which are said to be driven by personal interests.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have been in conflict over the PDP structure in Rivers State.

Wike’s faction won in the Ward, Local Government, and State Congresses held on July 27, August 10, and August 31, 2024, as Fubara’s allies withdrew from the contests, citing a court order.

On January 13, 2025, the Rivers State High Court issued a restraining order preventing the executive committees of the PDP, led by Aaron Chukwuemeka from operating.

The court granted an injunction prohibiting the executives from serving as PDP officers in the state.

In response, Ologunagba stated in a statement on Thursday that the PDP had accepted the court ruling.

He said the NWC recognised Hon. Nname Robinson Ewor’s group that aligned with Fubara as the legitimate state executives.

However, the PDP Deputy Publicity Secretary stated that the NWC of the party had not met, let alone accepted the judgment on the Rivers State congresses.

He stated, “In the manner that my colleague Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, has demonstrated lately, it’s becoming very glaring and clear that the party is having discomfort, as it were, and unclosed with some of his disposition lately.

“He seems to have been speaking from both sides of his mouth. Only yesterday, I issued, on the directive of the National Chairman, a disclaimer on the position of the party, where he spoke and issued a statement that the party, the NWC, sat and accepted wholly the judgement on Rivers State Congresses.

“The NWC did not accept the judgment in River State, recognising the Ewor’s-led executive. That’s not true. The NWC has not sat since September last year. And so I wonder where he will now say the NWC sat and adopted wholly, or accepted the verdict, recognising the Ewor’s-led state executive in River State.

Abdullahi stated that the publicity department must first get approval from the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum and the NWC before releasing statements.

He continued “A national publicity secretary does not enjoy such powers. He cannot speak for the NWC without clearance with the NWC. That is not the position of law. That is not expected of him as a lawyer to so do”

Related Articles

Back to top button