The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, has provided an explanation for the party’s dissolution of its leadership in Akwa Ibom state.
To protect party interests and guarantee compliance with national directions, the PDP leadership in Akwa Ibom disbanded its structures on Tuesday.
The party announced a caretaker committee in Akwa Ibom on Tuesday, with Igwa Umoren serving as its chair.
The caretaker committee appointed Borono Bassey, a former PDP publicity secretary in the state, as secretary to manage internal communications and administrative tasks.
Ologunagba claimed in an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday that the disbanded executives were influenced by Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, who had left the party to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“In Akwa Ibom state, the governor has left. At both the national working committee and party level, there seems to be no distinction between the state executives and their alignment with the All Progressives Congress, APC,” he said.
“Section 10, sub-section 6 of the party constitution states, ‘No member of the party shall align with other parties or groups to undermine the party or any of its selected governments. Belonging to two parties is an anathema.’
“We believe the Akwa Ibom executives are controlled by the governor who joined the APC. He openly said on tape that he would oversee both parties, which is unacceptable and undermines the PDP.”
The PDP has controlled Akwa Ibom politics for more than 20 years, but in June it lost power when the governor joined the APC.
Concerns regarding party unity were raised when Eno became the second PDP governor in the south-south area to defect to the APC in less than two months, following Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta.
In an effort to “restore order, reassert control, and prevent further erosion of its structure,” the PDP disbanded its state executives in Akwa Ibom four months after he defected.
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