Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Southern Nigeria have dismissed a zoning meeting scheduled to hold in Lagos today, branding it exclusionary, premature, and unrepresentative of the party’s interests.
The meeting, tagged the “PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit” and convened by the party’s Zoning Committee at the Legend Hotel, Ikeja, was billed as a platform to deliberate on power-sharing arrangements.
But top stakeholders from the South East and South South— including state chairmen, former governors, National Assembly members, and other critical voices—say they were neither invited nor consulted.
In a strongly worded statement on Thursday, PDP state chairmen from Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers—Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah, Venatius Ikem, Rt. Hon Aniekan Akpan, and Aaron Chukwuemeka—alongside National Vice Chairman (South-East) Hon. Chidiebere Egwu Goodluck and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. O.K. Chinda, declared that any resolutions from the Lagos meeting lack legitimacy and will not be recognized.
“The PDP has always thrived on inclusivity, fairness, and broad consultation. Any gathering that sidelines key leaders and elected representatives undermines trust, fuels division, and threatens the unity of our party,” the statement read.
The leaders further described the Lagos meeting as “self-serving and premature,” noting that the Zoning Committee has not yet completed or submitted its official report for approval by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
Reaffirming their commitment to party cohesion, the leaders stressed that the South East and South South remain aligned with the South West in promoting justice, fairness, and equity in PDP’s internal arrangements.
“We are custodians of the mandate of our members. We will defend the integrity of the PDP and insist that decisions affecting Southern Nigeria must be taken openly, inclusively, and with the widest consultation,” they added.
The Southern PDP leaders called on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), NEC, and all stakeholders to disregard the outcomes of the Lagos summit, dismissing them as illegal, divisive, and not binding.
They warned that should the party attempt to give weight to the summit’s resolutions, they will not hesitate to take all lawful steps under the PDP constitution to resist what they described as attempts to manipulate zoning in favor of a few individuals.
