By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has distanced itself from the party?s South South Zonal Congress held on Saturday in Calabar.

The party?s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, said the outcome of the Calabar purported congress was null and void.

Ologunagba said that the party NWC?s attention was drawn to a reported social gathering in Calabar, Cross River where the organisers falsely claimed same to be the PDP South South zonal congress .

He recalled that the NWC at its meeting on Thursday, in exercise of its powers under Section 29 (2)(b), pursuant to Section 31 (2) (c) and (j) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) postponed the conduct of the South South zonal congress from the earlier scheduled date of Feb. 22.

Ologunagba said that the postponement was to allow for further consultation on critical issues relating to the smooth conduct of the congress in the Zone.

According to him, Section 29 (2)(b) of the PDP Constitution empowers the NWC to ?in case of emergency, act on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) subject to the ratification of the NEC ?.

Ologunagba also said that ?Section 31(2)(c) expressly provides that the NEC shall ?supervise and direct the work of the Party and all its organs including the national, zonal, state and local government organs?.

He added that in the same vein Section 31(2)(j) empowers the NEC to make party electoral regulations to govern the conduct of elections to all party offices at every level and regulate procedures for selecting the party candidates for elective offices.

?For emphasis therefore, the PDP states that it has not conducted its South South zonal congress and it has yet to communicate a date for the exercise,? Ologunagba said.

He called on all party members in the South South zone, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the media to disregard any gathering or outcome of such in Calabar, purported to be the party zonal congress.

Ologunagba said that the party in due course and through its official channels would communicate a new date for the conduct of the South South zonal congress.

He commended the PDP South-South state governors, other leaders, key stakeholders, and party members in the zone for their loyalty and steadfastness in promoting the unity, stability, and growth of the party both in the region and nationwide.

However, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dan Orbih and all the immediate past zonal officers, who were elected four years ago in Port Harcourt, were re-elected during the congress on Saturday in Calabar.

They were all returned unopposed, but an election was conducted to reaffirm their positions.

The zonal executive consists of 10 members, in addition to six ex-officio members.

The congress was attended by former governors, former and serving members of the National Assembly, among others.(NAN)

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