By Ike Uchechukwu CALABAR
The Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has distanced itself from the National Working Committee’s (NWC) recent statements questioning the legitimacy of the state congress.
In a press statement, Mike Ojisi, the Cross River PDP Publicity Secretary, asserted that the congress was duly authorised, monitored, and attended by all party leaders and structures in the state.
Ojisi emphasised that the congress was supervised by a panel constituted by the party and monitored by relevant authorities, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, and Civil Defence.
“The said Congress was duly monitored by all duly constituted authorities including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) team of observers which was ably led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner himself, the Police and Civil Defence,” he stated.
The Cross River PDP Publicity Secretary questioned the legitimacy of a purported NWC meeting that claimed to have decided on the congress.
He emphasised that a congress does not hold at the whims and caprices of the NWC or when the National Publicity Secretary says so.
“A purported social media chat between five members of the National Working Committee cannot constitute a National Working Committee of the Party, talk more of taking such a fundamental decision,” Ojisi said.
He challenged the national leadership to disclose the venue, date, and approved memorandum of such a meeting.
Ojisi reiterated the party’s commitment to its ideals and loyalty to legitimate decisions taken in accordance with extant rules.
“As law-abiding Party members, we remain committed to the ideals of the Party remaining loyal to all legitimate decisions of the Party taken in accordance with extant rules guiding the process towards taking them,” he stated.
Recall that the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, had, in a press briefing in Abuja, dismissed claims that a state congress was held in Cross River, describing any such exercise as ‘hallucination’ and insisting that the process had been formally postponed by the National Working Committee (NWC).
The party warned that members behind the purported gathering risk facing disciplinary measures.
Ologunagba, who also serves as Secretary of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC), stated that no congress took place in Cross River, Plateau or Kebbi, as the NWC had shifted the exercise after due consideration.
“For emphasis, there was none. There was no congress in Cross River State for the PDP, because it has been postponed, along with that of Plateau and Kebbi,” Ologunagba declared.
He dismissed reports that party members gathered in Calabar for a congress, saying such an event bore no legitimacy.
“That you imagine that you can sit down and get some people together and have drinks, and call it a congress, that’s hallucination. It’s an excitement, a carnival,” he said.
The spokesman explained that congresses follow a clear process: approval of dates by the NWC and NEC, notification of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with 21 days’ notice, constitution of an electoral panel to conduct the exercise, and an appeal panel to review disputes.
“All these processes, particularly the setting up of an electoral panel, have not happened,” he stressed.
Asked if the party would sanction organisers of the alleged exercise in Calabar, Ologunagba replied: “For anybody who has brought this party into disrepute, we know what to do. There’s a constitution. We all subscribed to be members and we swore to obey it. Enough is enough.”
He also cautioned against attempts to derail the party’s preparations for its national convention.
“This party is bigger than any individual or group of persons. People should be warned going forward. It is no longer business as usual,” he said.
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