By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The brouhaha of the September 27, 2025 congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State has been put to bed by the South South Zonal Caretaker Committee of the party.
The committee said the scheduled Congress has been postponed indefinitely.
This was affirmed by Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, Chairman of the Committee, during the party stakeholders meeting held in Calabar on Thursday, 25th September 2025.
According to Chief Ogidi, the decision to postpone the congress, originally set for Saturday (27th September), was taken by the National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure proper adherence to party rules and maintain order within the party.
He emphasised that the party does not operate based on social media reactions or external court orders, but follows its internal regulations strictly, aligning with directives from the Supreme Court that affirm the autonomy of party affairs when conducted according to party rules.
Addressing controversies surrounding the congress, Ogidi revealed that efforts to engage the alleged former chairman, Venatius Ikem, were unsuccessful, as he did not attend a scheduled meeting at the party secretariat in Calabar.
He reassured members that the party respects legal channels, stating its willingness to respond to any injunctions appropriately within its framework.
Moreover, the chairman declared a shift in the party’s disciplinary approach, stating that, “Having previously emphasised leniency, PDP is moving towards stricter enforcement of discipline among members at the appropriate time, based on the party’s own rules.”
He further clarified the party’s governance structure, noting that while the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the convention are the highest authorities, the NWC is empowered to make interim decisions on their behalf, pending ratification at subsequent NEC meetings.
He stressed that the next NEC meeting, scheduled for October, would review and ratify the actions taken by the caretaker committee.
Rejecting claims by some groups regarding unauthorised congress activities, Ogidi confirmed that only decisions and congresses recognised by the NWC and NEC are valid. He warned that any congress held outside these structures would not be recognised by the party.
The committee reiterated its commitment to following due process, ensuring lawful conduct in party affairs, and maintaining unity within the party through discipline and adherence to constitutional protocols.
Converseer reports that Ikem has declared that the scheduled Congress will hold, stating that the NWC has no right to overrule the NEC’s decision. Read the full story here.
