PDP: NEC calls Wike’s bluff, passes vote of confidence on Ayu

By Tunde Opalana

The embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu got reprieve yesterday as the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party passed a vote of confidence on him.

This, no doubt, will douse prolonged tension in the party over agitation for removal of the national chairman.

The outcome of Thursday’s 97th meeting of the high decision taking body proved bookmakers who had predicted possible sacking of Ayu, wrong.

The Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu moved the motion for a vote of confidence to be passed on the national chairman.

The motion was seconded by a chieftain from Kwara State, Mr. Ishola Balogun Fulani.

The party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar assured all of unity in the party just as he described the crisis in PDP as disagreements which are normal in politics.

Atiku said: “Many speakers have alluded that family disagreements are normal even in normal families as well as political families. But what I can assure you is that we are determined to resolve those issues internally.

“Today, PDP is the oldest political party in Nigeria from the past republic till today no political party has existed as long as the PDP. As a political party we have our constitution, our rules and our regulations. I want to urge that no matter the level of disagreement, it should be resolved within our constitution, within our rules, within our regulations.

“We have all what it takes to guide us to continue to nurture this political party, to provide a platform for all Nigerians to realize their collective and individual aspirations. Therefore I wish to appeal to all members of our party to make sure that all our disagreements are resolved internally.”

Also, the new chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara commended party leadership for ability to resolve the lingering crisis.

“The PDP has an inbuilt mechanism to solve problems. We have done it several times. When people expect us to implode, that is when we become very glorious.

“I want to advise us that we should always deprive ourselves in-house no matter what the anger is; let us deprive ourselves in-house rather than playing to the gallery.

“We should watch and control our utterances because by and large, only God knows tomorrow.

“Because once you voice out something, it is always difficult for you to pick back what you voice out.

“My advice to use is that we should be mature enough to control our temper,” said Wabara.

National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu at the opening ceremony said the all-important NEC meeting will herald PDP’s journey to Aso Rock.

He appreciated all organs of the party for their interest in keeping PDP intact by resolving all issues amicably.

An elated Ayu said the turnout of members of all organs of the party said it showed the desire of PDP members to approach the 2023 section as a united front.

The chairman assured all of his resolve to lead the party to victory in the next general election.

He appreciated the outgoing BoT chairman, Senator Jibrin for his selfless service to the party.

He said as a foundation members, Jibrin rose through the ranks to the top position.

Former Vice President, Nnamadi Sambo, members of the BoT, former governors Sule Lamido and Babangida Aliyu, Senator Tanimu Turaki among other chieftains attended the meeting.

Governor’s at the NEC meetings include; Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Darius Ishaku of Taraba and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto while Adamawa and Benue state governors were represented.

Governors Wike of Rivers, Makinde of Oyo, Ikpeazu of Abia, Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Ortom of Venue were absent while Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel was said to be outside of the country.

However, there were pockets of pro and anti Ayu protesters at the entrance to the party secretariat while the meeting lasted.

But the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike challenged the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar to come out to deny agreeing in person that Senator Iyorchia Ayu should resign as national chairman of the party upon his emergence as candidate at the PDP presidential primary election.

The governor said Atiku told him that the national chairman must resign once he became presidential candidate, because both positions cannot be held by northerners.

READ ASLO: TASCK announces return of its Incredible Music Festival

He, therefore challenged the former vice president to be bold enough to deny the claim if it was not true.

Wike said this to justify his call for fairness, justice and equity in the party on Thursday in Port – Harcourt while commissioning the Ahoada campus of the Rivers State University.

“Ayu said he will resign if a northerner emerges PDP Presidential candidate. When the Northern PDP caucus met in the house of the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed in Abuja he said so.

“After the National Convention, the candidate of the party came to see me in my house in Abuja on Monday around 10:30 am, he told me that I want us to work together and then he said Ayu must go.

“I asked why, he said because when a candidate comes from the North, the Chairman of the party will come from the South.

“So, all am saying is that implement what you told me. What offence have I committed? It is not about Wike, it is about the integrity of people who want to lead us.

“I challenge the PDP Presidential candidate to deny this. If he denies this, I will go further to say things to Nigerians. Because enough is enough.

Wike rejected the resignation of Senator Walid Jibrin as chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT). He said this is not enough to pacify agitations for Ayu’s removal.

He stated that the BoT is an advisory body.

“They told the Chairman of the PDP BoT to resign, who is talking about the Chairman of BoT? What is the role of the BoT? BoT is an advisory body, BoT is not a decision-making body.

“As it is today, it is the Chairman of the party, Presidential candidate and President as the case may be, are those who will sit down and take a decision. And the Chairman is from the North, and the candidate is from the North, so who will represent the South in decision-making?

“It is not about me, will I be Chairman of a party? All am asking for, you have taken the President, yes, but you can take the two major positions. You cannot do that.

“What has killed Nigerians are leaders who don’t have integrity, they don’t do what they promised to do.

“Look at the insult, you have told the PDP BoT Chairman to resign, so you know and now agree with us that these two cannot be in one place.

“But what we are saying, is the position all agreed on is Chairman of the party, not the BoT,” he said.

The Rivers governor said he should not be seen as fighting the injustice personally but fighting the course of the southern members of the PDP who have been marginalized by the north.

He said: “The fight is for fairness, equity and justice. So, for those of you who do not understand how party functions, let me use this time to educate you.

“Some people say Wike wants to destroy the party because he lost the election primaries. These people are sick in the head, we are done with Presidential primaries and are over.

“For God’s sake, in a contest there must be a winner, there must be a loser. I have no regrets.”

He called the bluff of the presidential candidate for his arrogance in believing he has a support base in the Presidency.

“Why have they been so arrogant? There are arrogant because they believe somebody in the Presidency is backing them. But what they don’t understand, the same person in the Presidency backs somebody as APC Presidential aspirants and the person fails.

“I will tell Nigerians at the appropriate time who that person in the Presidency is,” said Wike.

Earlier in the day, Senator Walid Jibrin resigned his position as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He announced his resignation at the Trustees meeting held at the national secretariat of the party.

Recall that the chairman had a few days ago promised to step down to assuage alleged lopsidedness in the party’s leadership positions.

Jibrin had earlier lamented that it is not democratic for the northern part of the country to produce the presidential candidate, the national chairman, BoT chairman and PDP Governors Forum chairman.

The Daily Times gathered that the BoT chairman agreed to step down after persuasion from Atiku and former National Security Adviser, Gen. Ibrahim Gusau.

The pro- Atiku camp thought Jibrin’s resignation will a bit douse the tension.

Agitations for Ayu’s removal have centred around alleged injustice in PDP leadership positions with none of the top four positions residing in the southern part of the country.

Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara immediately stepped into Jibrin’s shoes as BoT chairman.

Until yesterday, Wabara was the Secretary of the Board of Trustees.

As part of reconciliation process, the party might have agreed to ask the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal to step down as chairman of the Governors Forum.

Relinquishing the position, it was learnt, may be one of the demands by the Wike camp to address imbalance in the party leadership.

Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, an ally of Wike may eventually emerge as new chairman, PDP Governors Forum.