By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The South-South Zonal Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday dissolved the Bayelsa State Working Committee, led by Solomon Agwanana, and replaced the Edo State Caretaker Committee, headed by Dr. Tony Aziegbemi.
Rising from a meeting at the PDP South-South zonal secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the zonal leadership, chaired by National Vice Chairman (South-South) Chief Dan Orbih, cited gross misconduct, poor performance, and the mishandling of internal crises as grounds for the shake-up.
New caretaker committees have been constituted to oversee the affairs of both state chapters for the next three months.
The Orbih-led committee, widely believed to enjoy the backing of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, took the action despite the disapproval of the party’s National Working Committee.
Newsmen had earlier reported that Orbih, on April 16, 2025, donated a new party secretariat to the Edo State chapter and warned the Aziegbemi-led committee to desist from parading themselves as party leaders.
In what many observers view as a politically motivated purge, the zonal leadership replaced Agwanana with George Turnah—a known ally of Wike and organiser of a planned rally in honour of President Bola Tinubu and Wike—as chairman of the new Bayelsa caretaker committee.
Similarly, Aziegbemi was replaced in Edo with Nosa Ogieva as chairman. Chief Sunny Okomayin was named deputy chairman, while Hillary Otsu was appointed secretary.
A statement issued by Zonal Publicity Secretary Etim Isong said the restructuring was intended to stabilise and reposition the party ahead of future elections, especially in the wake of what it described as a “woeful outing” in the last Edo governorship election.
“The decision to set up caretaker committees for both states follows the dissolution of the Bayelsa State Working Committee and the Edo State Caretaker Committee due to various acts of gross misconduct by the dissolved executives—acts that clearly breached the party’s constitution—as well as the party’s poor performance in the last Edo governorship election and the mishandling of internal crises in both states,” the statement read.
It added that the zonal committee took the decisions after a careful review of developments in both states, invoking provisions of the PDP constitution as amended in 2017—specifically Articles 10(1)(f)(g)(k), 10(4), 26(2)(a), 27(2)(a&b), 58(1)(a)(c)(i)(j), and 59(1)(f).
Other members of the new Bayelsa caretaker committee include Tony Gabriel as deputy chairman; former Ijaw Youth Council spokesman Ebilade Ekerefe as secretary; and Didi Werilaghebofa as vice chairman (Central). Andy Majors was named vice chairman (East); Evelyn Bolouebi Odi, vice chairman (West); and Biobelemoye Ogoniwari, treasurer.
In Edo, Ehisota Oriakhi was appointed vice chairman (Central), Richard Ehimigbai as vice chairman (North), and Benjamin Ehinlebodiaye as treasurer.