By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
There are great fears that the Thursday meeting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting may not hold as planned as it was gathered that the forum of Governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and those of the party’s Board of Trustee (BoT) is sharply divided over plans to replace the National Chairman of the Party, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu with a Southerner.
The development has to a large extent affected plans to hold the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party on Thursday as there are indications that the Governors and other stakeholders pushing for the removal the national chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu may boycott NEC if they are not assured of his exit.
The PDP southern Governors, who are championing Ayu’s removal have further accused the Presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, of shielding Ayu from doing the needful so as to actualize his “inordinate ambition” at the expense of the south.
A source confirmed to our reporter that Governors of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Abia State, Dr.Okezie Ikpeazu; Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed and Benue State, Mr. Samuel Ortom have lined up behind Wike to insist that Ayu must go while Govs. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel; his counterparts in Edo State, Godwin Obaseki and Bayelsa State, Sen. Douye Diri also queued behind Atiku just as Taraba state Governor Darius Ishaku has not taken a position.
The chairman of party’s Board of Trustee, Sen. Walid Jubrin as well as BoT life member Chief Bode George also supported the motion that the South are been marginalized in the party.
He said, “It is an antithesis and against the norm and culture of our party that the presidential candidate, our national chairman, and the chairman of the board of trustees will come from one section of the country.
“Party members from the south are already feeling alienated. PDP is not a private company. Before we start the presidential campaign, the national chairman must go to the south. This is all governor Wike is saying. And as a life member of the board of trustees of our party, I support this position 100 percent”.
Also adding his voice, Walid said, “To tell the truth, it will not be fair for the Presidential candidate to be from the North and the party Chairman to be from the North and the BoT Chairman also from the North,”
It was gathered that stakeholders from the South and some party members are mobilizing for an Ayu must go protest to embarrass the chairman during NEC.
Efforts at reconciling the pro and anti Iyorchia Ayu by Atiku broke down last week after Ayu described the Governors opposed to his stay as “children”, who were not part of the formation of the party.
Wike also replied Ayu “Yes, the children brought you to be chairman of the party. The children brought you from the gutter to make you chairman.
“These children, these people you call boys, brought you from nothing.
“Ayu, you were impeached as senate president. Ayu, I hope you also remember that you were sacked by Obasanjo in his administration. Arrogance cannot take you anywhere.
“Now, we have seen that you don’t want the party to win the election. We will help you”.
The Governor jetted out to London in the company of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to explore other options ahead of the election.
It was also learnt that Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Iyiola Omisore also meet with Wike in London to explore areas of collaboration.
But in a sudden twist, a close member if the party has disclosed that Wike’s support base is getting weak as Governors Ortom, Makinde and Ikpeazu are looking at other options out of the crises so as not to affect the chances of the party in the general election.
Ikpeazu, had on Friday affirmed that he will not leave the party, explaining that his alliance with Wike was to negotiate better deals for the South-east.
The crises may have also infiltrated the ranks of the PDP Governors forum with members taken positions for and against Ayu. Some Governors are not happy over the role played at the party’s presidential primary by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Bello Tambuwal, explaining that his actions has made it difficult for them to meet and forge a common front on the issues affecting the party.
Also speaking on the issue, a former Governor elected on the platform of the PDP noted that because of the role played by the Chairman of the PDP Governors at the convention, a meeting of the party’s governors cannot be called to intervene on issues affecting the party.
He said that series of meetings have been lined up this week to save the soul of the party. “If the PDP survives these series of meetings unhurt, then it could be said that it can win the presidential election.
“This is because there are strong forces against Ayu and we live to see how he can survive it. It is either the PDP breaks or Ayu goes”.
However the outcome of the NWC, Caucus and BoT meeting lined up as from Monday will determine if the NEC will hold and campaign council members ratified.
