The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has dissolved the Solomon Agwana-led State Working Committee (SWC) in Bayelsa State, appointing George Turnah, the party’s South-South Zonal Secretary, as the new Caretaker Chairman for a period of three months.
In a similar move, the South-South Zonal Working Committee also replaced Tony Aziegbemi, the former Caretaker Chairman of the Edo State PDP, with Nosa Ogieva. The decisions were announced following a meeting at the party’s zonal secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
A statement signed by Prince Etim Isong, Zonal Publicity Secretary, confirmed that the shake-up was necessitated by what the committee described as “acts of gross misconduct” by the dissolved executives, violations of the party’s constitution, and poor performance, particularly in the last Edo governorship election.
Isong expressed confidence that the restructuring would reinvigorate the party’s leadership and resolve lingering internal issues in both states.
However, the development has sparked controversy within the party, especially in Edo State. Chris Nehikhare, Publicity Secretary of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, criticized South-South National Vice Chairman Dan Orbih’s claims of dissolving the zonal executives in both states. Speaking in Benin, Nehikhare insisted that Orbih lacks the constitutional authority to sack any executive committees.
“Only the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee have the power to form caretaker committees or organize party congresses,” Nehikhare stated.
He further claimed that Orbih now functions more like a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing his frequent commendations of the APC-led Edo State government.
The crisis highlights the deepening factional tensions within the PDP, as stakeholders continue to dispute leadership legitimacy and party direction in the South-South region.
