Why I Accepted To Be PDP South-South Zonal Chairman – Ogidi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Chairman for South-South Zone, Emmanuel Ogidi, has said he wants the party to reorganize and become one family.

Naija News reported that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by its Chairman, Iliya Damagum, on Thursday inaugurated a caretaker committee for South South zone, after nullifying the February 22nd Calabar Zonal Congress.

The Caretaker Committee has Ogidi as chairman, Damiete Herbert-Miller (Secretary), Nicholas Ayuwa, Godwin Akpan Udonta, Mrs. Bekewei Ashanti, Mr. Idehen Ebomoyi, and Dame Vivian Ahanmisi as members.

Speaking with Arise News on Thursday, Ogidi, who faulted the Calabar Congress, said only the NWC has the right to conduct elections of the party.

He dismissed the claim of the South South Zonal Secretary produced by the Calabar Congress, George Turner, who argued that NWC lacked the right to conduct zonal elections.

He said, “The Constitution has empowered the NWC to conduct all elections. If you ask him (Turner), okay, who conducted the ward election? Because before you get to the zone, you start from the ward. Who conducted the ward? Who conducted the LG? Who conducted the state?”

Reacting to whether PDP crisis was being sponsored, he explained that indiscipline of members was responsible for the party’s internal crisis.

He recalled that at the early days of the party, they did not take internal issues of the party to court. He stated that some members of the party believed their decisions must be accepted.

Ogidi said he accepted the new role of South South Zone chairman because he did not want to lose any of the party members.

“You see, like I said, we are in a problem. PDP is the problem. Our members are, some of our members are running wild. So that’s the problem. I don’t want to start looking for…They’re not obeying the rules of the party. You see, I’ve been in this party since inception. I was a state chairman. During my tenure as state chairman in the early 2000s, we were not going to court. This court thing today is strange to know. It’s alien to us. It’s very alien. It’s lack of discipline. See, at least I’m an example of this. Democracy, If you allow democracy to run… If you don’t guide it, it will run wild. That’s why every party has its regulating body, the constitution.

“But some persons, either because they’re affluent, either because they have connections. They want it to happen their way. And it will cost anything. To me, PDP is my biggest… PDP is my family. And when you’re dealing with a family, it’s always a complex matter. I don’t want to lose anybody with PDP. That’s why I accepted to do this job,” he added.