Edo PDP accuses Orbih of working for APC
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has sacked the Solomon Agwanana-led State Working Committee (SWC) in Bayelsa State, appointing the Zonal Secretary, George Turnah, to oversee the party as Caretaker Chairman for three months.

Also affected in the shake-up announced by the party’s South-South Zonal Working Committee is Mr Tony Aziegbemi, the erstwhile Caretaker Chairman of Edo State PDP, who has been replaced by Nosa Ogieva.

The party’s South-South Zonal Working Committee announced the appointment of the caretaker committees after its meeting yesterday at the zonal secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

A statement by the Zonal Publicity Secretary, Prince Etim Isong, stated that the appointment of the caretaker committee followed the dissolution of the Solomon Agwana-led State Working Committee in Bayelsa and the caretaker committee in Edo State.

“The decision to set up caretaker committees for both states follows the dissolution of the State Working Committee of Bayelsa State and the Caretaker Committee in Edo State on account of various acts of gross misconduct by the dissolved executives, which are in clear breach of the party’s Constitution, the poor performance and woeful outing by the party in Edo State at the last governorship elections, and the poor handling of internal crisis rocking the party in both states.

Isong expressed optimism that the bold move by the Zonal Working Committee will strengthen the party’s foundation and ensure effective leadership in Bayelsa and Edo states.

MEANWHILE, the Edo State PDP, yesterday, dismissed claims by the party’s National Vice Chairman, South-South, Dan Orbih, that he has sacked the PDP Zonal Committee Excos in Bayelsa and Edo states.

Addressing newsmen in Benin, the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, said that Orbih has no power to sack any excos, noting that his statement has no validation.

According to him, Orbih runs the All Progressives Congress (APC) arm of PDP.

Nehikhare said: “Only the national body of our party has the authority, the constitutional power to set up caretaker committees.

“It is the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee that also organise congresses from the ward to the state, local councils to the zonal and the national convention,” he said.

He added that the party’s congress has not been held, particularly in the South-South zone, to unveil the new party executives.

“What we have is the Caretaker Committee in the South-South Zone, headed by Emmanuel Ogidi, and not Dan Orbih,” Nehikhare said.

He noted that Orbih is now in the APC, following his unsolicited praises for the APC-led government in Edo State.