We Will Adopt Doctrine of Necessity in Resolving Leadership Crisis, Says PDP 

*Says party has had Yar’Adua, Ahmadu Ali both from north same period

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said it would adopt doctrine of necessity in resolving issues surrounding the call by some members of the party for its National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu to step down.

According to the party, the crisis would be resolved in such a way that there would be no winner or loser.
In an exclusive interview with THISDAY yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, pointed out that there was a time the late President Umaru Yar’adua and Dr. Ahmadu Ali were at the helms of affairs of the party during elections and it was managed to the benefits of the part.

According to the National Publicity Secretary, “following the circumstances of the exist of Audu Ogbeh, he was replaced with Dr. Ahmadu Ali who is from the north central zone and within the same time, late Umaru Yar’adua from northwest emerged as the presidential candidate and later president. Yet, Ahmadu Ali was still the National Chairman. Both of them are from the northwest and north central.

“The party handled it, but thereafter, the former National Secretary, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor became the National Chairman after the election. This shows how organic, the PDP is, even to the welfare of the party.”

Ologunagba stressed that PDP was like Nigeria, explaining that just like doctrine of necessity was introduced when late President Yar adua had health challenge and at a time when everyone thought the country would collapse due to power struggle.
He said, ” I assure you that the same principles of doctrine of necessity will apply.”

He explained that with the elections around the corner, it would be too delicate to effect leadership change.
The spokesman of the PDP stressed: “We will adopt the doctrine of necessity where there would be no winners and no losers, but all will be at the benefit of the party at the moment end of the day
“We will manage this situation to the extent that the constitution works for the party and the people also working for the party.
“We will err on the part of caution because the PDP is organic and a family. There are ongoing consultations and reconciliation and very soon than expected we will come out with the members and leadership of the campaign committee,” the PDP spokesman said.
He explained that though, the planned National Executive Committee (NEC) did not hold yesterday as planned, the various organs of the party had been meeting.
According to him, “the Board of Trustees (BoT), the national caucuses caucus and even the NWC have been meeting. It is expected that a formal meeting of these organs to formalise their decisions would hold.”

On whether the party would sanction some members of the party for the crisis, Ologunagba said, “this is the essence of democracy and freedom of speech. The party as the largest political party with not bridge the fundamentally and constitutional rights of members. Be rest assured that we come out more a united party and no member will be sanctioned.”

A former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George had been consistent that Ayu should resign as the National Chairman. He insisted that his replacement should come from the south-west for the balancing of party offices.
But reacting to George’s comment, Ologunagba said, “he is an elder of the PDP. We will reconcile everyone. Reconciliations and negotiations are ongoing, as we talk.”

THISDAY gathered that the NWC of the party had solved that any leadership change at the moment would dislocate the party and put it at disadvantage as the electioneering process was expected to commence next month.
The PDP NWC had also thrown their support for the continued stay in office, insisting that they would sink and swim with him.
However, speaking later with newsmen, Ologunagba said: “The views of Bode George cannot be equated to the views of many members of the party. There are many views and the majority views will carry the day.”

Also speaking on the allegations that the PDP flags have been removed from Rivers State government House, the PDP spokesman said, “I am not aware. It is still an allegation. Wike invested more in this party and cannot go back on his words.

“Wike said that he is a committed party man and declared this to the whole world and declared publicly that as a committed party man he would not leave the party. He is a man of honour and we hold him to his words. I have no reason that he will renege on his word
Also speaking further on the call for Ayu to step down,
Ologunagba said, “As a party conscious of its constitution, the exigency of the PDP is the unity of Nigeria. If Iyorchia Ayu leaves now, he will still be replaced by the deputy national chairman from the northeast, Ambassador Umar Damagum. So, we are avoiding a constitutional crisis.
“The last NEC passed a vote of confidence on Ayu. There are multiple organs that have passed vote of no confidence on Ayu. The NWC is united behind Ayu.

” Life is about negotiations and it is about give and take. We are not seeking the sack of Ayu. The overall interest of the party is keen on the survival of the party, the unity of the party. This party is very sensitive will always review its position at the appropriate time,” the spokesperson said.