PDP: Ayu consolidates position as 4 Southwest chapters join his camp

By Chukwudi Nweje

Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu yesterday consolidated his position as four Southwest chapters of the party: Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun states backed him to continue in office.

In a statement entitled ‘PDP South West Spokespersons Stand with Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman’ issued at a press conference jointly addressed by Hakeem Amode, Kennedy Peretei, Raphael ‘Wumi Adeyanju, and Asiwaju Bankole Akinloye, Publicity Secretary of Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, and Ogun respectively, the state chapters of the PDP disassociated themselves from the calls for the resignation of Dr Ayu as national chairman of the party.

Osun State was not represented at the parley because the caretaker committee-led chapter is not fully constituted while Oyo State chapter was absent.

Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, the zonal leader of the PDP in the Southwest had told Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate  during his recent visit to Oyo State that Ayu must step down as national chairman for peace to reign in the PDP, a position that tallies with that of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

The chapters said: “On behalf of the leadership of the PDP state chapters in Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti and Lagos states, we, the Publicity Secretaries in these states wish to affirm our faithfulness to the PDP constitution which clearly stipulates procedure for leadership election and removal.

“As the only political party that has not changed name or logo since its establishment in 1998, the party cannot afford to appear unserious. We do not see any justification for the resignation of our national chairman, especially at this very critical stage of preparation for elections. Dr Iyorchia Ayu was duly elected at a properly constituted national convention with a four-year mandate and recently received vote of confidence of the party’s National Executive Committee, at its 97th meeting in Abuja.”

They noted that everything possible should be done to protect the sanctity of the PDP Constitution (2017 as amended) to avoid throwing the PDP into avoidable crisis.

On Governor Makinde’s insistence that Ayu must resign to address the regional imbalance in the party, Kennedy Peretei, the publicity secretary of the Ondo State chapter of the party noted that while Makinde is the leader of the party in the Southwest by virtue of his office, the PDP National Executive Council (NEC) to which he (Makinde) also belongs to has already passed a vote of confidence on Ayu.

He said: “The concern of our zonal leaders and their determination to protect the interest of our members against any form of marginalisation is deeply appreciated. However, our focus should be directed mainly to encouraging our teeming members to rally round our candidates vying for the Houses of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and governorship positions and ensure that they win elections.”