Groups Stage Protest at PDP Headquarters, Say Ayu Must Remain as Chairman

•Accuse Edevbie of being an APC Mole

Chuks Okocha

In a move to counter a previous protest by other civil society groups that had called for the sack of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), another groups yesterday stormed the national headquarters of the party, passing a vote of confidence on Iyorchia Ayu.

Also, the civil society coalitions under the  auspices of the Ijaw Mandate Groups alleged that the factional governorship candidate in Delta state was a mole who is working for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to the leader of the groups, Andaye Dagiri, “it came to our notice that a few nameless Edevbie supporters accompanied by scores of hired mischievous miscreants, ostensibly to swell their number, paraded themselves as aggrieved Delta PDP members under the name  of Concerned Deltans for Good Governance with a recruited band of hired street urchins in Abuja went to the premises of the national secretariat of the PDP to stage a misplaced protest, which was widely ignored and overlooked by the national leadership of the party. Although they managed to address the press in utter ignorance.”

Accordingly, they said, “we restate our confidence in all the candidates of the PDP in Delta state who are products of the  Dr. Iyorchia Ayu-led National working Committee’s (NWC) validly conducted party primaries, (Presidential, vice presidential, governorship, Senate. House of Representatives, State Assembly candidates) and we will stop at nothing to mobilise Deltans to vote all our candidates to victory at all levels.”

He further stated that they were not completely unaware of the alleged hidden agenda between some high-handed David Edevbe supporters and Ovie Omo-Agege for the governorship election.

In view of this, the group said, “for the avoidance of doubt, we have implicit confidence in the judiciary to dispense justice in this case as the importance of the judiciary in shaping our society over the years, cannot be over emphasised.

“That to all Nigerians of goodwill, we say without equivocation that Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborewor Francis, the authentic Delta state PDP gubernatorial candidate of the PDP is eminently qualified in both character and pedigree and academic qualifications and cognate experience to become governor of our state and deliver come 2023 and beyond, despite all these needless distractions.

“And, without prejudice to and preempting the judicial proceedings of the Court of Appeal, he will be victorious at the end of the day,” the group stated.

The group said the Ayu-led executive fully mobilised and packaged the party to win the governorship victory for Osun State against all odds

In passing of confidence on Ayu and his team, they said, that the present leadership of the party have rebranded the PDP and ensured the gale of defections into the PDP in different states from the APC and other parties.

“The party is better primed right now to reclaim our lost mandate as the party in government once again in Nigeria

That, Delta State PDP is intact and unshakable as the recent state-wide PDP rally,” it added.

The Ijaw mandate group said the successful hosting and conclusion of the PDP National Convention in Abuja repositioned the party as a stable and likeable entity amongst the other political parties.

The groups were received by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba who promised to pass their petition to the National Working Committee.