Olusegun Ariyo
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South-South zone caretaker committee, Emmanuel Ogidi, has vowed that the party won’t hesitate to discipline members found engaging in anti-party activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ogidi, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast programme The Morning Brief on Tuesday, and which was monitored by Urban Express News Online, dismissed claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, influenced the recent zoning of the PDP presidential ticket to the South.
Asked about the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and other PDP members, who have openly endorsed President Bola Tinubu, Ogidi said, “We are watching our members and of course, any party that does not have discipline cannot succeed. We will discipline any erring members,” he said on the show.
The PDP chieftain accused the APC of attempting to destabilise the South but insisted their efforts had failed.
“APC has been running towards the South because they want to destabilise the South; they are trying to weaken us in the South, but they failed,” he said.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-lawmaker Dino Melaye, among others, recently left the PDP for the ADC opposition coalition.
Responding to questions about reconciliations and defections, Ogidi maintained that the PDP would continue to engage aggrieved members but would not tolerate deliberate acts of sabotage.
“We are in reconciliation. If it doesn’t work, then we are going to apply the big stick. As for those who have left, our doors are always open. At the time they left, many were unsure of the party’s direction, but now we are more certain, and I believe they will return,” he warned.
He further stressed that the PDP’s immediate focus was not on personalities but on rebuilding public confidence after years of internal crisis, including leadership tussles and disputes over the office of the national secretary.
“This is the People’s Democratic Party. We don’t headhunt for candidates; our doors are open for those who wish to come in.“For now, our pursuit is not about the candidate but about regaining the confidence of Nigerians. PDP is not owned by any individual; it belongs to the people,” Ogidi said
