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PDP Crisis: Ayu’s fate hangs as PDP convokes NEC meeting next week

…South West joins call for sack of National Chairman

…Tambuwal, Saraki, Emmanuel in race for DG PDP Presidential campaign

By Ezeocha Nzeh and Myke Uzendu

The fate of embattled National Chairman of major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have been threatened as the party has surprisingly fixed a National  Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for next week to addressed all the contending issues following the party’s presidential primary

Recall that the PDP has been engulfed in threatening crisis as the River State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his group has continued to insist on the sacking of its National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, as one of its conditions to support of the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar for the 2023 presidential elections

Even as campaign for the next general election commences in few weeks, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is yet to constitute it’s National Campaign Council following internal wrangling threatening party’ cohesion.

The post convention crises and choice of Governor Okowa as running mate to its Presiential candidate, Atiku Abubakar altered the political harmony and rotation culture  in the opposition party and triggered the call for the resignation of it’s National chairman, Sen Iyorchia Ayu.

Despite all odds the party’s leadership has zeroed its search for the Director General of it’s Presidential Council to former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Sokoto State governor Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel.

It was learnt that the party could have settled for Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike but for the strange relationship between the party, it’s presidential candidate and the governor.

The face-off between Wike and the party’s leadership contributed immensly to the delay in the  onstitution of PDP’s Presidential Campaign Council.

Wike is further demanding for the resignation of the party’s National chairman Ayu and for Atiku to serve for only one tenure as compensation to the South for truncating the parties offce rotation process enshrined in the party’s constitution.

The party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) initiated a fence mending effort by constituting a  reconcilliation between Atiku and Wike. 

It was learnt after the controversy and opposition that greeted the choice of Okowa, the party is careful not to make further appointments that will inflame the already charged situation.

However, PDP has summoned a meeting of it’s National Executive council (NEC) this week to take decision on chairman and members of the presidential campaign council.

It was gathered that Wike’s camp is kicking against the choice of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambawal because of the role he played by stepping down for Atiku during the presidential convention.

At the last meeting between Atiku and Wike, it was gathered that the Rivers State governor rejected the choice of Tambuwal as many PDP governors It was learnt that the PDP governors are in favour of former Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki or Akwa Ibom state governor, Udom Emmanuel as the head of the party’s presidential campaign council.“These are some of the issues that the Thursday NEC meeting will decide,” a member of the party said.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the South-West is also demanding Ayu’s exit as a condition to support the party’s it’s Presidential candidate.

“Tinubu is campaigning as the candidate of the Yoruba people. Even Sanwo-Olu said recently that all Yoruba people must see Tinubu as their personal project. The PDP needs to make a huge concession for the South-West which has the second largest voting population after the North-West,” a member of the State Working Committee in Ekiti State said.

Also speaking on the issue, a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, said Ayu must leave immediately in the spirit of fairness.

Ayu needs to resign as chairman immediately while the South-West gets the position in the spirit of fairness. I cannot campaign for the party in the South-West in an atmosphere where there is no fairness. What will I tell our people?” he asked.

George, who was the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign in 2007, said the PDP could pick an interim chairman from the South-West just for the purpose of fairness.

He argued that refusing to take Nigeria’s diversity into consideration would make the PDP no better than the APC which is pushing a Muslim/Muslim ticket.

“NEC can appoint an acting chairman from the South-West in order to give the region a sense of belonging. Ayu promised to leave office once the PDP produces a northern Presidential candidate. For the sake of fairness, he needs to step down immediately.

“The PDP as presently constituted does not reflect Nigeria’s diversity. The North produced the Presidential candidate, the national chairman and the BoT chairman and they want the South to accept this. Would the North have accepted this if it was the other way around?” he asked.

Attempts to get a response from the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, proved abortive as he did not respond to repeated calls on Saturday.

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