Bayelsa PDP: Agwana Dismisses Turnah-Led PDP Congress in Bayelsa, Insists on Recognised Leadership
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, under Mr Solomon Agwana, has rejected the emergence of Chief George Turnah as the state chairman of the party, describing the congress that produced him as illegal and lacking constitutional backing.
Agwana made this known while reacting to reports that a faction of the party conducted a state congress in Yenagoa where Turnah and members of a 20-man State Working Committee were elected.
In a statement made available to journalists in Yenagoa, Agwana maintained that the exercise was a clear violation of the PDP constitution and due process, stressing that those who organised the congress lacked the authority of the party’s legitimate organs.
He further alleged that the congress was organised by individuals believed to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, insisting that the gathering does not represent the authentic structure of the PDP in Bayelsa State.
According to him, there is only one recognised leadership of the party in the state, which he said is under his direction, adding that no parallel congress or executive can override the existing structure of the PDP.
Agwana described the development as a calculated attempt to create confusion within the party and mislead the public ahead of the party’s planned national convention.
“The so-called congress that produced Chief George Turnah and others is a nullity. It has no legal or constitutional standing within the People’s Democratic Party. Those behind the exercise do not represent the authentic leadership of the PDP in Bayelsa State,” he said.
He emphasised that the PDP structure under his leadership remains intact and recognised by the appropriate authorities within the party.
“The Agwana-led leadership remains the recognised and legitimate structure of the PDP in Bayelsa State. No amount of political manoeuvring or external influence can change that fact,” he added.
Agwana, therefore, called on party members across the eight local government areas of the state to disregard the outcome of the purported congress, urging supporters and stakeholders of the party to remain calm and loyal to the recognised leadership while internal issues are resolved through the party’s established mechanisms.
