‘It’s illegal’: PDP chairmen, ex-govs, others disown southern zoning meeting

State Chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former governors, National Assembly members, serving and former National Working Committee members, and other stakeholders from the southern region have disowned the meeting scheduled for Lagos on Thursday, August 21, 2025.

The meeting was scheduled by a group in the PDP with the aim of zoning positions.

The PDP leaders, while describing the meeting as illegal, dismissed “any resolutions, communiques, or outcomes purportedly emanating” from the meeting, saying “decisions reached in secrecy and exclusion cannot and shall not assume the authority of consensus.”

The PDP chieftains made this known in a statement signed by the party chairmen of Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah, Venatuis Ikem, Aniekan Akpan, and Aaron Chukwuemeka, respectively, as well as the National Vice Chairman (South-East), Chidiebere Egwu Goodluck, and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, O. K. Chinda, among others.

They stated: “The said meeting tagged ‘a summit’ was allegedly convened in the name of the three geo-political zones of Southern Nigeria — South East, South South, and South West.

“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.

“Even more troubling is the inexplicable exclusion of several national officers, eminent leaders, and critical stakeholders of the PDP. Shockingly, the Minority Leader in the National Assembly and other principal officers of our party from the South-South and South-East were also deliberately sidelined and denied participation in a meeting where such far-reaching and sensitive decisions on zoning, power rotation, and political equity are to be discussed.

PDP seeks court order to sack four Osun lawmakers over defection

“Equally concerning is the deliberate omission of most former governors from the South East and South South, who, by every standard of history, pedigree, and institutional memory, remain critical stakeholders in any conversation about the future direction of our party. 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.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we categorically dismiss any resolutions, communiques, or outcomes purportedly emanating from this meeting as neither binding on, or reflective of, the collective will and aspirations of the PDP family across Southern Nigeria. Decisions reached in secrecy and exclusion cannot and shall not assume the authority of consensus.

“More particularly, the said summit is premature and targeted at protecting the interest and selfish ambition of a select few as the Zoning Committee set up by the 101 NEC is yet to present its report for ratification by the party.

“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the unity, stability, and electoral fortunes of the PDP and call upon all well-meaning leaders and stakeholders to resist any attempt to manipulate zoning arrangements through exclusionary tactics or clandestine maneuvers.

“The South East and South South zones, alongside our counterparts in the South West, 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 PDP leaders, therefore, called on the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), and all stakeholders of the party to “disregard any outcome of the said meeting which is not only illegal but divisive.”

The Star