By Ben Ogbemudia, Abuja
Security operatives yesterday besieged the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja.
This is coming three days ahead of the meetings of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
The security operatives, comprising of men from the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were seen yesterday morning within and outside the national secretariat of the PDP at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.
It was learnt that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party may hold on Monday (today) or Tuesday (tomorrow).
In a proactive move, it was gathered that the leadership of would not want any circumstances that may be considered injurious to them.
ThisNigeria learnt that forces angling to unseat the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, have intensified efforts as the move for southern stakeholders to pick up the job thickened.
With the persistent calls for Ayu’s resignation, there had been palpable tension within the camp of the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, following the accusation that he was shielding Ayu from resigning.
It was also gathered that the PDP stakeholders from the South, including the supporters of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, are mobilising for a showdown with Ayu’s supporters, over his continued stay in office.
Investigations also revealed that the role played at the party’s presidential primary by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has made it difficult for the governors to unite and intervene on issues affecting the party.
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The southern stakeholders are demanding that Ayu should relinquish his position for the South-West as a strategy against Senator Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Investigation revealed that the demand for Ayu to step down is no longer seen as a campaign of Wike, but as a southern agenda.
A member of the NEC from the South, who spoke off the record, argued that with Atiku from the North-East, Ayu from the North-Central, Chairman of the BoT, Walid Jibrin, from the North-West, and the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State from the North-West, the southern members of the party have been marginalised.
“There is nothing for the South other than the Office of the National Secretary held by Senator Samuel Anyanwu and the vice presidential candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa,” he said.
“Ordinarily, the agitation that Ayu must step down should not necessarily be seen as a Wike’s agenda, but the need for the balancing of power and justice.
“This issue came up during the October 2021 National Convention, and even Ayu openly said on ARISE NEWS Channel that he would step down if a northern presidential candidate emerged.
“It is not because of Wike. No, it is because of balancing and justice. It is to give the South a sense of justice and belonging. This is basically what the various organs of the party through the BoT, National Caucus, and the NEC will decide before the ratification of the members of the presidential campaign council,” he added.
The source explained that Atiku’s camp has been thrown into panic because there is a strong suspicion that the presidential candidate is backing Ayu.
“This is the time for the presidential candidate to speak out and prove to Nigerians that he can take tough decisions. Atiku’s continued silence on the matter of agitation for Ayu to step down is not golden,” he said.
Another PDP stakeholder from the South said that Ayu would bring only little value to the table.
“What is Ayu bringing into the campaigns that Atiku cannot sacrifice him? I can’t believe that Atiku is this weak to take a tough decision. Let us see how all these will go with the national caucus and NEC meetings.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy National Youth leader of PDP, Tim Osadolo, has said that the call for the removal of Ayu is ridiculous, laughable, and at best be ignored.
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“What are the reasons to demand the sack of a man who has delivered optimally so far as the National Chairman? he queried.
Osadolo added, “The man has recorded several firsts so far as the national chairman. No one has accused him of incompetence, sectionalism, and not knowing what to do as national chairman.
“All they are saying is that Ayu must go. What are the reasons? Because one man lost primaries among sixteen others? It is a laughable call. Asking for Senator Ayu to resign is to be asking for the position of the national executive because Ayu is national chairman of the Northern extract today to serve as the balance of the office’s zone to the South.
“If you are asking him to resign on the basis that the candidate of the party is from the North, Senator Ayu is from the Middle Belt. Let’s even assume that he resigns, the constitution states that the Deputy National Chairman from his area takes responsibility, but who is the Deputy National Chairman from the North? Ambassador Damangun even happens to be from Yobe State in the core North-East, so what have we achieved? Nothing has changed.
The youth leader added, “Everybody is asking for Ayu’s removal, and you cannot have the decision of national executive members in the middle of the campaign and election.
“The man has not even said his averse to resigning, or to do whatever he wants to do if we have won.
“We have not even won general elections. It is when we have won the general elections we know the presidential candidate to vote in or even the sworn-in as president. That is when we can now start discussing if the national chairman’s office should remain in the north or the south.
“But for now, the debate on such analyses is needless, distracting, and should best be discarded. Those sponsoring it should be advised to focus on more meaningful issues. We have campaigns to do; elections to win, so, those are more issues that are tasking, and not calling for Ayu’s removal. It is an unfortunate call.
“But I can assure you that we are battle ready for them on NEC day. It will never happen. There is nothing that will make Ayu resign, or be forced out of office. Not when some of us are still in this executive. Ayu cannot be removed. Ayu will serve his tenure as national chairman, or resign when he wishes and under pressure from anybody because the man has not been found guilty of any accusation.
