Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike have rejected assertions made by certain PDP members that Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, the party’s embattled national chairman, needs to be ousted through a mini-convention.
Recall that a number of governors, including Chief Olabode George, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, and Governor Nyesom Wike of Benue State, among others, withdrew from Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign on Wednesday. They insisted that Ayu must resign before they can back the PDP Presidential candidate as the campaign kicks off on September 28.
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The PDP’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), responded to the group’s demand by dismissing proposals to hold a mini-convention to oust Ayu before the election campaign begins on April 2.
Ajibade stated that there was no time to remove the PDP chairman, claiming that the crisis in the party could worsen if Ayu stepped down as he would still be replaced by someone from his geo-political zone.
He said, “Nobody says it’s not achievable, but at least you know it’s constitutional. You know that going by our constitution, going by article 47/ 6, if Ayu steps down, somebody from his zone is coming to step in and that person has to be the national vice chairman, north and it will even be worse if the national vice chairman were to step in as the deputy national vice chairman, north is from the same zone with the candidate himself.
“On what Chief Bode George said, maybe you need to ask him how it is possible before 28 September because if he has a way that it can be achieved, that will require a mini-convention, where offices have to be swapped. The mini-convention will not be possible before September 28.”
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The South-South Zonal Legal Adviser of the party, George Turner, responded to the notion that Ayu could only be removed through a convention by saying that Ayu could be removed without such a forum.
“We have had reasons to remove party chairmen in the past without going to mini-conventions. The way out of this crisis may not necessarily have to be a convention.
“By the provision of the PDP constitution, the National Executive Committee can take a decision on Ayu’s fate subject to ratification by a convention that will come up later,” he told Newsmen.
Turner recalled that in the past, chairmen were removed without going to conventions, adding that the embattled PDP national chairman should go in the interest of the party.
“The man that was removed from office before Ayu was elected, Uche Secondus was not removed at a convention. He was removed less than three months to the end of his tenure,” he added.
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The issue in the PDP is Ayu’s removal, not a mini-convention, according to Ogbonna Nwuke, a former federal lawmaker who represented Etche-Omuma federal constituency in the National Assembly.
He claimed that since the North’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election is from the South, peace would only return to the PDP if Ayu resigned so that a southerner could take his place.
Prior to the elections, he claimed that Ayu’s resignation or removal would bring peace back to the largest opposition party and offer the South a sense of belonging.
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