As Call for Ayu’s Removal Festers…

Udora Orizu writes that calls for the removal of National Chairman of  People’s Democratic Party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has continued to fester and may sail through, following a recent appeal by the party’s Board off Trustees that the embattled Chairman will resign after 2023 general election

Since the party primaries was held in May, 2022, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been enmeshed in crisis, as calls for the resignation of its National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, intensified.

After the October 2021 National Convention, Ayu had said on Arise TV that if the presidential candidate of the party emerges from the northern part of the country and if the party asks him to resign, that he would gladly do so.

With the emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate, the Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike; his Oyo state counterpart, Seyi Makinde; Benue state Governor Samuel Ortom; Abia state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and some elders of the party like Chief Bode George and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) had asked Ayu to resign, alleging marginalisation of the South with the presidential candidate and the national chairman coming from the north.

This crisis has brought division, disunity in the party, and the situation may hamper the party’s chances of winning the 2023 presidential poll. The disunity was evident when Wike and his loyalists boycotted the flag-off ceremony of the party’s presidential campaign for the 2023 elections.

Wike who led the call for Ayu’s removal urged Atiku to show leadership by taking action on the crisis rocking the party in the run-up to the 2023 general elections.

Wike over the months had revealed other allegations of bribery against the party’s National Chairman, saying he (Ayu) lacked integrity saying the party’s fate in the coming election depends on the action Atiku decides to take as he insists on the resignation of Ayu as party chairman.

In a recent media chat, the Rivers Governor, said Ayu’s children will disown their father, if what he has done in the party is revealed.

He said, “If not for the love of this party, if people know what we know, if we release what we have, Ayu’s children will go to him and say we are no longer your children. There cannot be any comment. He (Ayu) cannot say anything. Look, I am the governor of Rivers State and I don’t just come out to speak. Let Ayu say he did not collect N1 billion. In fact, let me also tell you, Ayu collected N100 million from a governor that he was going to renovate our democratic institution and then, he (Ayu) went back to the PDP NWC and took the same N100 million for doing the same work. What kind of system is that? I am telling you all these are facts.”

He vowed not to back down from his position that Ayu should resign, noting that those talking about the interest of the party should also realize that the PDP has always stood on zoning of positions.

Wike added that the party chairmanship after Ayu’s resignation should be given to any part of the South.

On his part, Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde, had during an interactive session in Ibadan, renewed the call for the resignation of Ayu as PDP national chairman.

Makinde didn’t mince words when he also told Atiku that the issue of lopsidedness in the party’s elective positions and non-compliance with the constitution and lay down principles guiding the party’s operation must be addressed.

He said: “The truth is that we do not have any issue either with our party or our candidate. If there are challenges they must be tabled. We are supposed to give hope to our people. Our party wants to rescue Nigeria and our candidate is a unifier. He wants to restructure Nigeria as eight years of the All Progressives Congress have left us sharply divided. The issue is we must practice what we preach. If we want to unify Nigeria, we must unify the PDP first.

“If we want to restructure Nigeria, we must have the willingness to bring inclusivity to the PDP. Do we have the capacity? The answer is resounding yes. The message from the South-West PDP is the South-West is asking that the National Working Committee of the PDP should be restructured. We are asking the National Chairman to step down so that the South will be fully included. That is the message”.

Also, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), the umbrella body of some opposition parties is set to meet with the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to present a working road path to final resolution of the crisis.

CUPP Spokesman, Ikenga Ugochinyere in a statement last week, insisted that Ayu’s removal is not negotiable, saying  it will help restore the integrity of the PDP and unite the party.

Ugochinyere who is also PDP candidate  for Ideato North and South Federal Constituency, opined that with Ayu’s removal it will prove that PDP has zero tolerance to corruption and ready to make any sacrifice no matter how challenging for the benefit of the country.

He claimed that candidates of PDP in the South are facing marginalisation and integrity issues over the continued stay of Ayu in office.

According to him, for PDP to win presidential election in 2023, Ayu must resign from his position.

Attempts by the presidential candidate of the PDP to resolve the rift with some aggrieved members of his party, especially members of Governor Nyesom Wike-led group has proved abortive. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees and former Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara, had joined Atiku early last month to begin crucial moves to resolve the party’s crisis.

Atiku had insisted that Ayu can only be removed by laid down principles and the constitution of the party having been elected by a convention.

His words: “I have no problem with wherever any of the members of the party comes from but it must be done in accordance with our constitution, regulations and practices. Therefore, what Governor Makinde is calling for is achievable under our constitution, rules, regulations and procedures. So, those institutions must serve as guides to whatever changes we make. That is why we cannot do anything outside the constitution, unless it is amended to reflect what we want them to be.

“Of course, we don’t say people should not have different views, but all views must go through our constitution, rules and practices. Otherwise, we cannot give this country the kind of leadership they want. So, it is time for us to return the PDP back to power.”

Move to Douse the Tension

As calls for Ayu’s continues to fester, to douse the tension, the Board of Trustees of the PDP has urged him, to give a firm assurance that he will resign his position after the 2023 general election.

A communiqué of the BoT meeting read by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, read in part, “To call on all Party leaders and persons close to them, to desist from making further inflammatory remarks or granting press interviews. To call call on the Chairmen of the PDP Governors Forum to convene a meeting of the PDP Governors Forum without further delay.

“To urge the National Chairman as an eminent leader to give a firm assurance that he would resign his position after the 2023 elections.

In the same vein, the BoT Chairman has been authorized to offer apologies on behalf of all members who feel maligned or aggrieved by the public statements made by its members across the country that has sharpen the current division in the party. To call on the presidential candidate to review its appointments of members of the campaign council and other advisory appointments to make it all inclusive”.

Speaking on why he refused to comment on allegations against him, Ayu said, “This is a meeting of the BoT which I am only a member, as allegations persist, it is an opportunity to clear the air. I decided not to respond not to encourage altercations in the party. However, I want to make it clear that at no time did I as the National Chairman of the party collect any N1 billon from anybody.”

Ayu continued:, “When we came in and the party had funding difficulties the presidential candidate suggested that we should take a loan from the bank and the owner of that bank is a member of the party, he has even left the party. The party never took any loan from anybody. Any money advanced to the party was declared before the NWC and handed over to the National Treasurer. All our accounts are up to date and we promised to publish the accounts at the end of the year.

“On today’s allegations, I fully briefed the BoT that one of our governors made a contribution of 100 million naira for the revival of the PDI which was housed in a portacabin and I explained to them that we hired an appropriate place in Asokoro, we have furnished it, renovated it. Three days ago, we went there, inspected it and the NWC decided that before commissioning we should invite the governor in question to come and inspect what we have done with his contribution.

“I am happy that the National Secretary of the party has since written a letter to that governor. I or the NWC has never taken any money to carry out that renovation. In fact, we have not even exhausted that N100 million by one of the governors. The consistent attack on my person since the end of the convention on the 31st of May I have refrained from reacting. As the father of the party, I felt I should encourage reconciliation. But where it touches on my personal integrity or even my family members are brought into play I appealed to such people to desist from trying to malign my character or bringing my family into party affairs”.