Rivers PDP rejects national convention, says party excluded Fubara from consultations

Members of rhe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers have distanced themselves from the party’s national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo capital.

The position was contained in a statement signed by several state executive members and local government chairpersons of the party.

Signatories include Kingsley Waite, Tombari Sydney Gbara, Victor Pepple, Otamiri John Ngubo and Ejekwu Princewill.

The Rivers PDP leaders said the party was grappling with a leadership dispute at the national level that had polarised state chapters across the country.

They added that a series of lawsuits and counter-litigation had worsened the situation and created further uncertainty within the party.

“That as a result of the leadership crisis in the party at the national level, which has polarised the party in so many state chapters,” the statement reads.

“That in view of the various litigations and counter-litigations that have further deepened the crisis in the party.

“That there was no proper communication channel between the national leadership of the party and our leader, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara GSSRS, governor of Rivers State, which has consequently left us incommunicado.”

“We were neither consulted, nor was approval sought and obtained, before our names and photographs appeared in the brochure of the proposed Ibadan national convention of the party.”

“In view of the above, we therefore unanimously resolved not to participate in the forthcoming national convention scheduled to hold on the 15th to 16th of November 2025 at Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.”

The Rivers PDP also reaffirmed their loyalty to Fubara, saying he remained the undisputed leader of the party in Rivers.

BACKGROUND

There have been conflicting judgments regarding the PDP’s 2025 elective national convention.

Last week, an Oyo high court ordered the party and Umar Damagum, its acting national chairman, to continue with preparations for the convention.

Some days later, a high court in Abuja halted the PDP from conducting the event and also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to supervise or recognise the convention.

Subsequently, a group within the party, led by Sam Anyanwu, announced that the convention had been postponed — a claim quickly refuted by the Damagum-led faction of the PDP.

However, despite conflicting court judgements, preparations have started at the Adamasingba Stadium in Ibadan for the national convention.