Amidst the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
ahead of the 2023 presidential election stands the polarising figure of
Iyorchia Ayu, the party’s national chairman.
The former senator’s popularity within the party has grown
shy of the percentage that led him to become the national chairman on consensus
last October.
Cracks in the opposition party widened after Atiku Abubakar
emerged as the presidential candidate, and overlooked Nyesom Wike, governor of
Rivers state, when selecting his running mate.
There have been calls for Ayu to resign on the grounds that
the party’s presidential candidate and the national chairman cannot be from the
same region — both are northerners, from Benue and Adamawa respectively.
Reacting to the growing clamour, Simon Imobo-Tswana, special
adviser on media and communications to Ayu, said his principal has no plan to
resign from his position.
He added that the PDP national chairman “was elected for a
tenure of four years”.
“We restate, therefore, that the PDP National Chairman has
not resigned and has no plan of resigning. For clarity and emphasis, he was
elected for a tenure of four years,” he said.
“Sections 45 and 47
of the PDP Constitution are clear on the removal and/or resignation of the
National Chairman. Those who don’t know this should get copies of the party’s
Constitution for more information on the matter.”
Ayu’s current stand is however contrary to the promise he
made in October 2021, during the lead-up to the party’s convention.
In a chat with Arise TV at that time, Ayu pledged to “step
down after a presidential candidate emerges and happens to be in the north”.
He added that he was willing to “do everything to promote
the interest and image of my party.”
“Luckily, party
positions we have agreed are not tied to executive and legislative positions.
However, I’m a very democratic person and I will do everything to promote the
interest and image of my party,” he had said.
“If the PDP says I should step down after a presidential
candidate emerges and happens to be in the north, I will be very glad to do so
because what we want is to take over the government and run it in the interest
of Nigerians. I’ll sacrifice anything to ensure that my party wins.”
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