By EHIGIMETOR IGBAUGBA

The Cross River 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.

The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr Mike Ojisi, said this in a statement issued in Calabar on Wednesday.

He asserted that the congress conducted on Sept. 27 was duly authorised, monitored and attended by all party leaders and structures in across the state.

Ojisi said it was supervised by a panel constituted by the party and monitored by relevant authorities, including electoral umpire, INEC, the Police, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“The said Congress was duly monitored by all duly constituted authorities including the INEC team of observers which was ably led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner himself, The Police and Civil defence,” he stated.

He questioned the legitimacy of a purported National Working Committee (NWC) meeting that claimed to have taken a decision against the Congress.

He said that congresses do 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 NWC 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 said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr Debo Ologunagba, had at a news conference in Abuja dismissed claims that a state congress was held in Cross River.

He descr’bed any such exercise as ‘hallucination” and insisted that the process had been formally postponed by the NWC.

The party warned that members behind the purported gathering risked facing disciplinary measures.

Ologunagba, who also serves as secretary of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC), also said that no congress took place in Plateau and Kebbi.

According to him, the NWC had shifted the exercise in those states after due considerations.

“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.

“All these processes, particularly the setting up of an electoral panel, have not happened,” he said.

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.” (NAN)