2023: PDP On Tight-Rope As Atiku ‘Rules Out Ayu’s Resignation’

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is in the midst of a crisis that appears to have no end in sight as the general election campaign for 2023 gets underway in a few days.

After the primary election, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the national chairman of the main opposition party, and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate, visited Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State. This is when problems began for the main opposition party.

Ayu had praised Tambuwal at the time, calling him “a hero of democracy.” Whatever he meant, the statement is a result of the major crisis that the party is currently experiencing.

PDP Crisis: Group Rejects Ayu’s Resignation, Sends Message To Wike’s Camp

All those in the camp of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who finished second in that primary election, viewed that statement from the party’s national chairman as “disappointing and from a biased point of view.”

As if that weren’t enough, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom claimed that Atiku chose Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate despite a committee established for that purpose having previously chosen Wike.

Wike had now demanded Ayu’s resignation in an effort to soothe his and his supporters’ feelings, claiming that both Atiku and Ayu had previously made the same commitment.

However, according to Anaedoonline.ng, Nigerians saw a vote of confidence in Ayu rather than his resignation. Instead, Walid Jibrin, the chairman of the board of trustees, is the one who was allegedly forced to resign; this development hasn’t gone over well with the party’s members from the South of the country.

PDP Crisis: Atiku In Dilemma Over Wike’s Request To Remove Ayu

When Atiku visited the State, Makinde and other party chieftains spoke.

Okowa, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, Senator Ademola Adeleke, Soji Adagunodo, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Babangida Aliyu and his counterparts from Ondo and Osun, Olusegun Mimiko, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Eyitayo Jegede, Dino Melaye, and Ladi Adebutu were among those present.

Given that both Ayu and presidential candidate Atiku are from the north, Makinde insisted that Ayu’s resignation be one of the requirements for reorganizing the party.

“We must speak the truth. The truth is that we don’t have any issue either with the party or the candidate.

“We don’t have any issue with the PDP. This is not about an individual. Those are the issues that are behind us, it has happened, it has happened.

PDP NWC Calls For Iyorchia Ayu’s Probe Over Party’s Finances

“The issue is that we must restructure Nigeria if we want unity in Nigeria. But, we must restructure PDP itself before we restructure Nigeria. If we want to restructure Nigeria, do we have the capacity, the answer is yes. But, the South West PDP is asking the PDP chairman to resign. The Southwest PDP is telling the Chairman to step down,” he said.

In response, Atiku firmly stated to his audience that Ayu’s resignation is an unrealistic goal.

He said it would only be possible should the constitution be amended, which analysts say is unlikely to happen before the 2023 presidential election, but he did not completely rule it out.

Atiku said, “only if the PDP constitution is amended.

“The calls for the resignation of the national chairman or any national officer can only be achieved through the party’s constitution.

PDP NWC Calls For Iyorchia Ayu’s Probe Over Party’s Finances

“The party’s constitution can only be amended. It is possible.

“When I was the Vice President, we took over South West except Lagos state. I don’t want us to lose focus, the focus is on how to win the 2023 elections. I know that we are capable, we can do that”.

With this, he appears to have foreclosed the possibility of Ayu’s resignation in line with Wike’s camp’s demand.

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