The Taminu Turaki-led leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has dismissed reports that it is preparing to hold congresses across the South West, describing the claims as false, mischievous and aimed at causing confusion within the party.

South West Zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Sanya Atofarati, said there was no approval or directive from the party’s national leadership for any state congress in the zone. He urged party members and the public to ignore purported timetables and notices circulating on social media and other platforms.

According to Atofarati, the structures of the party in the region remain largely intact and do not require fresh congresses. He explained that five of the six states in the South West currently have duly elected and legally recognised state executive committees in place.

The only exception, he noted, is Osun State, where a caretaker committee was constituted by the National Working Committee to oversee party affairs. That committee, he stressed, was validly appointed and continues to function with full authority pending further directives from the national leadership.

The zonal spokesperson linked the alleged congress timetable to individuals he described as expelled members who are attempting to exploit the party’s recent leadership crisis. The PDP has been divided between factions loyal to Samuel Anyanwu and those aligned with National Chairman Taminu Turaki, SAN.

Atofarati insisted that those circulating the purported schedule lack both legitimacy and moral standing, having been removed by the party’s national convention, which he described as the PDP’s highest decision-making organ. Their efforts, he said, are designed to mislead unsuspecting members and destabilise the party’s rebuilding process.

He maintained that under Turaki’s leadership, the PDP is focused on restoring discipline, unity and internal democracy, rather than engaging in what he called “sham exercises” that have no backing from the national secretariat.

Atofarati called on members across the South West to concentrate instead on the ongoing membership registration and validation exercise at ward and local government levels. Strengthening the party’s membership base and structures, he argued, is essential preparation for upcoming electoral contests and broader democratic engagements.

He reiterated that any authentic information on congresses or other major activities will be formally communicated through recognised party channels, and urged members to verify all claims before acting on them.