The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a bold step by creating a caretaker committee for its South-South zone. This decision is seen as a direct challenge to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

In a statement released on Friday, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the National Working Committee (NWC) made this move to prevent any leadership gap.

The current zonal executive’s tenure will end on March 9, 2025, and the caretaker committee will take over from March 10, 2025, for three months or until a new leadership is elected.

A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt had stopped the PDP and its South-South National Vice Chairman, Dan Orbih, from holding a zonal congress. The case was filed by PDP members from Rivers State, Tonu Ejiogu and Field Nkor.

However, despite the court’s decision, the PDP went ahead with the congress in Calabar, Cross River State. Wike attended the congress and declared that the South-South remains PDP’s strongest base. He insisted that the event was legal and that no other congress would be conducted in the region.

Dan Orbih won the election for National Vice Chairman with 174 votes, as announced by the chairman of the electoral committee, Vita Abba.

Despite Wike’s position, the PDP’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, appointed a caretaker committee for the South-South zone. Emma Ogidi was named Chairman, while Chief Damiete Herbert-Miller will serve as Secretary.

Other members include Nicholas Ayuwa, Godwin Akpan Udonta, Bekewei Ashanti, Idehen Ebomoyim, and Dame Vivian Ahanmisi.

The PDP emphasized that the committee’s role is to manage the party’s activities in the zone and ensure smooth operations until a new executive is elected.

This development signals internal tensions within the PDP as different factions push for control in the South-South region.