Mutfwang’s Delay of Meeting on Ayu’s Replacement Creating Tension in PDP N’Central Caucus

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang’s delay in summoning a meeting of the North Central Zonal Caucus of the party, where a new national chairman of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) is expected to be nominated has begun to cause tension.
Mutfwang, as the only PDP governor and political leader in the North Central Zone has been mandated to summon a meeting of the zone, where a substantive national chairman would be nominated in line with the provisions of Section 47(6) of the PDP Constitution for ratification by the National Executive Committee (NEC) that is expected to meet on November 28.
But barely nine days to the NEC meeting, there were fears that the reluctance of Mutfwang to call a meeting of the North Central Zone might truncate the rescheduled November 28 meeting as the major agenda for the meeting is the ratification of a substantive National Chairman.
A source within the PDP NWC told THISDAY that the ball was in the court of the Plateau State governor as only he was conferred with the leadership to summon a meeting of the PDP in the zone as the only governor elected of the party.
”Unless Governor Mutfwang summons a meeting, where a candidate for the replacement of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu is done, the November 28 NEC Meeting cannot do anything.
”Ayu was removed from office by his ward in Gboko and subsequently the High Court in Gboko affirmed his removal,  and same Ayu withdrew his appeal from the Court of Appeal.
“There is nothing the NEC can do, unless the zone meets and informs the NEC that they have reached a decision on who to replace Ayu. If not, there is nothing that the NEC meeting can do.
“We as members of NEC can do nothing unless, there is an agenda for replacement of Ayu before us, whereby, we would be told that at such a zonal meeting on so and so date, a meeting of the North Central zone agreed and presented an agreed replacement.

“If not, there is nothing we can so, There are precedents that must be adhered,” the NEC member source said.

Meanwhile, stakeholders from the north central zone of the party have cautioned Mutfwang not to play any spoiler role and become the enemy of the north central zone on producing a replacement to acting National Chairman, Iliya Damagum.

In a statement by the Young Generation Congress (YGC) of the PDP, Hon. Caleb Istifanus, claimed that, ”The story and information out there is that Governor Mutfwamg has refused to summon the North Central leadership meeting to enable the zone decide on a suitable replacement.

“But rather, he led  selected few of the stakeholders especially NEC members from the zone to a meeting with a former governor from the South-south to perfect their inordinate plans that the North Central has no candidate to replace Damagum.”