The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems not to be ending anytime soon with the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu insisting on remaining in office.
Naija News learned that the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike during his meeting with the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar in London called for Ayu’s resignation.
Wike also requested that Ayu’s replacement comes from the South before he can throw his weight behind Atiku.
A National Working Committee source in the party close to Ayu, however, insisted that the national chairman would not resign from office.
The source said rather than call for Ayu’s resignation, the aggrieved members of the party should call for the resignation of Atiku.
According to the source, if Ayu resigns, the Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Damagun, who is from North-East, the same zone as Atiku would take over.
He said, “Ayu is not resigning. Ayu is from the North-Central. If Ayu resigns now, the person to take over from him is Umar Damagum, Deputy National Chairman (North) from the Northeast. If people do not want North-Central or North-East, why will they accept (someone from) North-East and North-East?
“The man that will take over from Ayu is from the North- East, the same zone as Atiku Abubakar. Does it make any sense? So how does he help the argument of North-North?
“Ayu was elected for four years and he has not done even one year. So why should the thought of resigning even arise? What has Ayu done that he should resign? He is not a candidate in the party, he did not beat (Nyesom) Wike in the election, Atiku did.”
The source further stated, “Ayu did not choose a running mate for Atiku; Atiku chose for himself. So they should ask Atiku to resign because he was the one that did two bad things. Firstly, Atiku beat Wike; secondly, he bypassed him in choosing a running mate. I don’t see where Ayu has come into this.
“They should tell Atiku to resign, not Ayu who came on a national assignment to rescue the country from the grip of the locusts.”
This article was originally published on Naija News