2023: Fresh crisis brews in PDP as stakeholders demand resignation of Ayu, others

A fresh crisis may be brewing in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the Concerned PDP League, also known as ‘PDP Watchdog’ has demanded the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu; the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; and the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature.

The organisation said the demand became necessary following the allegations of the delegates’ list used to determine those who picked the party’s presidential ticket during the just concluded national convention.

The leader of the Concerned PDP League, Daboikiabo Warmate, who read the demands during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, also said Ayu and his team have been immersed in one scandal or the other to the detriment of the party since coming on board six months ago.

He warned that failure to tender their resignation letters on or before the 20th day of June, 2022 will attract massive protest at the party’s National Secretariat.

This is coming barely 24hrs after elder statesman and leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark said Ayu is no longer fit and proper to retain his position as the national chairman of the PDP.

Clark had alleged that Ayu showed partiality and predilection in the processes leading to the “baffling conclusion of the PDP presidential primary.”

In the same vein, Warmate alleged that many unpopular decisions, actions and inactions of the national chairman have led to the recent exit of some chieftains of the PDP, including Mr Peter Obi, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, and other chieftains of the party.

He also blamed Ayu for the crises in certain state chapters of the party as well as the emergence of some unpopular candidates ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He said: “Since the coming on board of the Ayu-led NWC, some of the NWC members have been immersed in one scandal or the other to the detriment of PDP. It is quite discouraging, distressing, nauseating and shameful to watch, listen and read on various media and conversational platforms in almost every week of the month.

“The allegations which range from giving tickets to the highest bidders to subsisting expulsion that may cost PDP exclusion from the 2023 polls, to hijacking of Ward and Local Government Congress Committee (assignment) list; manipulation of national and state delegate list, using non party members for PDP official assignment and unjustly disqualifying qualify aspirants and clearing aspirants with questionable certificates and loyalty, for example Mr. T. P. Williams of the FCT Senatorial race, Comrade Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere in the ideato North and South Federal Constituency race in Imo state and Rt. Hon. (Chief) Sheriff Oborevwori in the Delta state gubernatorial race, et al,” he added.

According to him, the ugly developments trailing the PDP primaries have presented the party to Nigerians as a platform that cannot invoke and follow its political principles and morality.

Warmate also maintained that following the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 elections, both the National chairman and party’s flag bearer cannot come from the same region.

He stressed: “And also the North East (Adamawa State) has produce the presidential candidate and flag bearer in the person of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, while the North Central (Benue & Nasarawa states) are still occupying the position of the National Chairman and Board of Trustees Chairman in the person’s of Ayu and Sen. Walid Jibril respectively.

“This is inconsistent with section  7, subsection 3 (c) and section 46 subsection 3 of our great party constitution as amended 2017. It’s politically unethical and immoral. Therefore, we call on the black National Chairman, National Secretary and National Organizing Secretary to without any further delay tender their resignation letters and hand over every party document and others items to their deputies as provided by our party constitution as amended 2017.

“As for the National Chairman, he should hand over to the National Deputy Chairman South. This is in keeping with the established internal policies of the party and constitution,” he emphasised.

While describing the Ayu-led NWC as the darkest spot in the history of the opposition party, Warmate warned that “with them in the helm of affairs of PDP, the party will most likely lose the 2023 general elections”. (Vanguard)