Atiku told me Ayu must go, says Wike
...as PDP chairman escapes sack •Wabara becomes acting BoT chair
By Olusegun Olanrewaju, Ben Ogbemudia and Cross Udo
By hair’s breadth, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, yesterday survived the hammer of sack dangling on his head.
Despite the respite, currents are still smoking in the party, which may affect electoral fortunes, watchers say.
After a combative series of meetings of the National Executive Council (NEC) and national caucus at the party’s Wadata House in Abuja, a resolution surfaced, passing a vote of confidence on Ayu by the leadership.
That followed jubilation among some caucuses after the resignation of Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman, Walid Jibrin, whose throwing in the towel could be another harbinger of trouble.
Ayu’s continued stay in office seems guaranteed by one of the resolutions reached at the end of a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which paved the way for him to remain in office for the time being, despite the tales of woe trailing his stewardship.
Nonetheless, all may still not be well with the reconciliation process being arranged with the two gladiators in the bitter war tugging at the soul of the leading opposition party, presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, as some groups yesterday rose in opposition to the national chair’s leadership, suggesting that a hail of fire could still be lurking in the ominous corner.
*Vote of confidence on Ayu
At the end of a rather tempestuous Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting yesterday, where a national leader, Bode George, walked out, the party announced that it extensively deliberated on issues of urgent national importance, as well as the preparation for the 2023 general elections.
Part of the resolution, among others, includes unanimously passing a vote of confidence on the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Ayu “for effectively managing the affairs of the party.
The party also restated its confidence in the NWC to lead the PDP to victory in the 2023 general elections.
The NEC also announced that it received and accepted the resignation of the BoT chairman, Walid Jibrin, as well as accepted the nomination of a former senate president, Adolphus Wabara; the secretary of the BoT, as acting chairman of the board.
The NEC also said it ‘thanked’ Jibrin for “his loyalty and commitment towards the unity, stability, and success of the party at all times, and urged him not to relent in his service to the party and the nation at large.”
On other matters, the committee congratulated the party and the Osun State governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, for PDP’s victory in the July 16, 2022, Osun State governorship election.
Other resolution includes, “NEC commended the NWC, the Board of Trustees, PDP Governors’ Forum, National Assembly Caucus, Zonal, and State Caucuses, other leaders, critical stakeholders and all organs of the Party for the successful conduct of the 2022 National Convention as well as all primaries for the election of our candidates for the 2023 general elections.
“NEC unanimously ratified the list of candidates of the PDP as submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the NWC.
“NEC congratulated H.E Atiku Abubakar and H.E Ifeanyi Okowa on their emergence as presidential and the vice presidential candidates of the PDP for the 2023 presidential election, respectively.
“NEC also congratulated all the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, and state House of Assembly candidates of the PDP for their emergence as flagbearers at various levels.
“NEC commended all leaders, members, critical stakeholders, and supporters of our Party across the country for their continued steadfastness in the PDP’s mission to Rescue, Rebuild and Redirect our nation from the nightmarish misrule of the failed APC.
“NEC unanimously empowered the NWC to modify and adjust the structures of the Campaign Councils as and when the need arises.
“NEC received and approved the proposed structure for Zonal Reconciliation Committees to be set up to ensure that our party presents a common front ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“NEC also received and approved the composition of the Manifesto Review Committee to review the Manifesto of the PDP ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“NEC charged Nigerians to remain united in rallying towards the success of the PDP at the 2023 general elections and start the onerous task of rescuing and rebuilding our nation.”
*Atiku, Tambuwal’s responses
On his part, Atiku appreciated what he referred to as Jibrin’s sense of patriotism and services to the party. New acting chair, Wabara, said that Jibrin, by his action, had demonstrated that the BoT was truly the conscience of the PDP.
The chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, also thanked Jibrin for his show of commitment and sacrifices to the success of the party.
As it is, Jibrin is the first to be consumed by a crisis rocking the leading opposition party in the country.
*Again South-West protests
Earlier, a member of the BoT, Bode George, had walked out of the meeting, saying, “I am tired. I cannot continue to listen to what is going on over there. I have a series of meetings to attend.”
As former senate president, Adolphus Wabara (from the South-East) emerged as the acting chairman of the party’s BoT, the South-West kicked again.
Also, there have been loud grunts among some members who feel Jibrin was only short-circuiting issues since he only has a few months left in his tenure.
They now read meaning to his earlier perceived ‘patriotic stance’ about the lop-sidedness in the party’s hierarchy following the emergence of Atiku, a fellow northerner, as a presidential candidate.
*Ayu’s headache: Wike battles on
Ayu had been in the eyes of the storm over his alleged bias in the period leading to the national convention, a development that was worsened by his pronouncements at the peak of the crisis.
He was opposed by the group of forces led by Governor Wike who came second in the party presidential primaries.
And despite Jibrin’s resignation as the BoT chairman of PDP to cushion the tension in the party, Wike has always insisted that the national chair, Ayu, must still step down.
Wike, who spoke at the commissioning of the Ahoada Campus of the Rivers State University in the Ahoada East local government area of the state yesterday, stressed justice, and fairness.
The governor noted that since the presidential candidate of the party is from the Northern part of the country, the chairmanship must go to the South.
Wike added that Atiku had told him in person when he won the presidential primary election conducted in June, that the resignation of Jibrin won’t stop his demand for Ayu’s removal.
He said, “This fight, we will fight it to the end.”
The opposition party has also fallen into disarray following its presidential primary and the nomination of Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the vice-presidential candidate of PDP.
Wike has vowed to sustain the fight for a return to a healthy party structure that will allow for an even representation of the interest of the north and south in the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).
The governor said the current leadership structure where the north holds the presidential ticket, as well as the national chairman positions, is against the constitution of PDP and a gross injustice to the south.
He described the resignation of the BoT chairman as a charade and vowed to continue the fight for the right thing to be done in the PDP.
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“One ex-general went to see the BOT chairman and the candidate (Atiku) too went to see him resign, so we’ll give you an advisory position. The BOT position is already advisory.
“What advisory position are you going to give him? That is to insult us. And all of us are here. Our people are there not knowing what is happening. Do you think it’s Wike? It is you. It is your children. How can we be here? The chairman and presidential candidate will meet, they will take a decision, nobody represents us. Just wait, pray let them win then you will see.”
The governor accused some vested interest in the PDP of being arrogant because they are being backed by someone in the presidency. He, however, warned those haughty individuals to also bear in mind that an APC presidential aspirant, the person they are relying on, failed to clinch his party’s ticket.
*Atiku’s optimism
In another development, Atiku has said all disagreements within the party will soon be resolved.
Atiku acknowledged the crisis rocking the party, but appealed to the aggrieved party leaders to ensure that all issues are resolved within the party’s constitution.
The former Vice president of Nigeria said there are no fundamental disagreements, saying, “it is Normal.”
“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, our rules, and within our regulations.
“We have all that 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.
*Further trouble from within
A group yesterday revved up another ground of opposition in the embattled party.
It shows, among others, that though the NEC has passed a vote of confidence on its national chairman, Ayu, he may, in fact, no longer enjoy the confidence of party members.
The group, Nigerian Agenda for Inclusion (TNAI), questioned Ayu’s belief in the party’s history and its philosophy of inclusion, spread, and fairness, noting that the chairman’s conduct was inconsistent with the spirit of the party’s founding fathers.
In a statement signed by Alexander Obisesan, the group noted that “the reason Chairman-Ayu committed to resignation should the Presidential Candidate emerge from the North was because of the established norms and conventions that find an anchor in the principle of rotation and inclusion.
“The reason Vice-president Atiku Abubakar and others left the PDP before the 2015 elections were because of the perceived breach in the rotation of power arrangement that led to the party’s defeat.
“It is, therefore, self-serving and myopic for anyone to advise the party to violate a well-known and settled arrangement between the north and south that forbids the presidential candidate and the national chairman to come from the same region.
“It is, therefore, unfounded and deceptive to say that five months to the 2023 elections is too short for the party to embark on a simple re-arrangement of the NWC to guarantee the inclusion of the South and success at the poll.
“The emerging arrogance and grandstanding in some quarters that the North has aligned towards the PDP and, therefore, the South-West has become inconsequential; may be the party’s undoing for the third time.”
