The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Edo State chapter has condemned the formation of a caretaker committee in the state by the Chief Dan Orbih-led faction of the party’s South-South Zonal Working Committee, claiming that only the party’s National Working Committee has the power to dismiss any executive council.
A caretaker committee for Edo and Bayelsa states has been established, according to a statement released by the South-South Zonal Working Committee, which is led by Dan Orbih, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
In response, the state’s caretaker committee, chaired by Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, argued that Chief Dan Orbih was not authorized to dissolve any party state executive council.
Dan Orbih was allegedly effectively running the All Progressives Congress, the APC wing of the PDP, according to Hon. Chris Nehikhare, the publicity secretary for Dr. Tony Aziegbemi’s group in the state, who stated that Orbih’s assertion lacked credibility.
“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 to the state and local government to the zonal and the national convention.”
“What we have is the Caretaker Committee in the South-South zone headed by Emmanuel Ogidi, and not Dan Orbih,” he mentioned.
Nehikhare described Orbih and his allies’ declaration of dissolution as a ploy to mislead those who were not aware that Orbih had been suspended for a long time and about the actual operations of the party.
He also pointed out that the party’s congress had not been held to introduce the new party executives, particularly in the South-South zone.
He accused Orbih of siding with the APC after he gave uninvited praise for the APC-led government in Edo State.
He stated, “It is not the responsibility of the zonal working committee to set up a caretaker committee for a party in any state, but that of the national working committee.”
“The tenure of Chief Dan Orbih as chairman of the zonal working committee of the PDP in the South-South zone has expired, so it is concerning when people still refer to him as the chairman of the zone.”
“He (Orbih) is not the chairman of the zone, and he has since been expelled from the party.”
On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the party’s South-South Zonal Working Committee authorized the formation of caretaker committees to manage the party’s operations in Edo and Bayelsa states, respectively, for a three-month term.
The announcement, which is effective immediately, was made at the end of a meeting of the Zonal Working Committee, which was chaired by the party’s national vice-chairman, Chief Dan Orbih. The decision was taken after the Edo and Bayelsa State Working Committee was dissolved.
According to Orbih, the two states’ executives were dissolved for allegedly engaging in egregious misbehavior that violated the party’s constitution and for failing to adequately handle internal issues in both states..
