The Conference of Professionals in the Peoples Democratic Party (CP-PDP) has dismissed reports that the party’s Southern stakeholders’ zoning meeting held in Lagos on Thursday was postponed.
In a statement, CP-PDP Protem National Coordinator, Obinna Nwachukwu, said the meeting was duly authorised by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to deliberate on the zoning of national offices ahead of the PDP National Convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to him, party leaders from the region not only endorsed the summit but also attended in large numbers.
“We can authoritatively verify that the leaders of the PDP in the South did not dismiss the stakeholders’ summit organised by the party’s Zoning Committee in Lagos, contrary to misleading claims by some misguided elements in the party. Any resolution or recommendation reached at the summit is therefore valid, authentic and recognised by the party,” Nwachukwu said.
He disclosed that the Chairman of the PDP Zoning Committee, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, attended the meeting alongside other key stakeholders, including the four PDP governors from the South, members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), the three National Vice Chairmen from the South, serving senators, members of the House of Representatives, state chairmen, former governors, and members of the Zoning Committee from the South.
Nwachukwu described attempts by some individuals to discredit the summit as “imprudent and irresponsible,” alleging that they were being sponsored by a prominent minister in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who is bent on scuttling the PDP National Convention.
He noted that such actions were in violation of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), particularly Section 58 (1) (h) (j), which attracts serious penalties.
The CP-PDP, therefore, urged the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to sanction those behind the alleged smear campaign.
“The CP-PDP urges all party members and the general public to disregard such claims, as the party remains solidly behind the Douye Diri-led Zoning Committee as it continues its consultations in line with its NEC mandate,” he added.
