… says meeting called by suspended Vice chairman illegal
A meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-South scheduled for this Saturday, February 15, has been described as illegal by the party’s zonal secretary, Chief Felix Omemu.
The purported meeting is being convened in Benin City, the Edo state capital by Chief Dan Orbih, the party’s national vice chairman South-South.
Omemu, in a statement released to journalists in Yenagoa on Thursday, said the meeting could only be held with the approval of the Zonal Working Committee, and that has not been done.
The statement read: “My attention has been drawn to a purported invitation to a meeting of the South South Zonal Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) illegally scheduled for this Saturday, 15th February, 2025 in Benin City, Edo State.
“For the purpose of clarity and in line with the Constitution of our great party, the Executive Committee meeting could only be held with the approval of the Zonal Working Committee.
“In line with Section 26, (2c) of our party’s Constitution as amended 2017, there was no such a time that the Zonal Working Committee meeting being a precursor to the Zonal Executive Committee agreed on any reports to be discussed at the Saturday’s scheduled meeting.
“The section 26 (2c) states as follows:”Prepare and submit reports for the consideration of the Zonal Executive Committee; and.”
Continuing he said: “As the Zonal Secretary of the party, I am therefore, not aware of such a meeting that purportedly resolved that ZWC could go ahead to convene the highest meeting of the party leaders in the Zone and so, I wish to distance myself from such an illegal ZEC meeting and gathering being called by Chief Dan Orbih.
“I also wish to call on my colleagues in the zone to boycott the Saturday’s meeting whose agenda remains suspicious and may not likely serve the general interest of the party as it is clear that majority of the leaders of the party in the zone were not duly consulted before calling for the meeting.
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“By this statement, I am placing on alert the key PDP leaders in the South-South zone including our State Governors, former Governors on the platform of the PDP, members of the National Assembly from the zone, Principal Officers of the State Houses of Assembly from the zone, members of the National Working Committee from the zone and also State Chairmen of our party from the zone.
“I urge the leaders of the party in the zone to call Chief Orbih to order in a move to avoid any untoward consequences of allowing an illegal meeting to hold in the zone.”
The National Working Committee of the PDP had last year suspended Orbih for his alleged involvement in sabotaging the party’s efforts in Edo State.