The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has rejected claims made by the party’s factional National Vice Chairman for the South-South, Dan Orbih, regarding his dismissal of the PDP Caretaker Committee executives in Bayelsa and Edo states.
The party insists that only the national body of the PDP has the constitutional power to establish caretaker committees.
In a statement released to the press in Benin, the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, refuted Orbih’s actions, stating that the claims lacked any legal or constitutional standing.
Nehikhare emphasised that Orbih did not have the authority to dismiss party executives in Edo and Bayelsa states. He further clarified that only the national body of the PDP, through its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), has the constitutional power to establish caretaker committees.
“Only the national body of our party has the authority, the constitutional power to set up caretaker committees.
“It is the National Working Committee, the National Executive Committee that also organises congresses from the ward level to the state and local government, up to the zonal and national convention,” Nehikhare said.
Nehikhare also pointed out that the PDP’s congress had yet to be held, particularly in the South-South zone, to elect new party executives.
He reiterated that the South-South zone is currently under the leadership of the Caretaker Committee headed by Emmanuel Ogidi, not Dan Orbih.
In the statement, Nehikhare also accused Orbih of showing loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), following his unsolicited praise for the APC-led government in Edo State.
“Dan Orbih is now in the APC following his unsolicited praises for the APC-led government in Edo State,” Nehikhare remarked, suggesting that Orbih’s actions and statements might be more aligned with the APC than the PDP.
Naijaonpoint reports that this development follows the South-South Zonal Working Committee’s decision on April 22, 2025, to approve the appointment of Caretaker Committees to oversee the affairs of the PDP in Bayelsa and Edo states for a period of three months.
This decision came after the dissolution of the state working committees, which the party accused of gross misconduct, including mishandling internal crises and breaching party rules.