Ayu won’t quit, PDP exco tells Wike, others

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday ruled out the possibility of removing its National Chairman Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, as a condition for peace and reconciliation in the party.

Among those calling for Ayu’s removal to balance the North/South power equation in the opposition party are Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and a former Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Olabode George.

They have premised their demand on the fact that the PDP cannot have Ayu, who is from the North, and the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who is also from the North, in the same election circle.

But, the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said removing Ayu from office would ignite a constitutional crisis in the party, adding that PDP cannot take the risk.

He said those calling for Ayu’s removal are fully aware of the position of the PDP constitution on the matter.

The party’s constitution stipulates that when the tenure of a sitting national chairman is abridged for whatever reasons, his seat is taken by the Deputy National Chairman from the same region the ousted chairman comes from.

Ologunagba, who spoke with reporters in Abuja, explained that the PDP constitution provides for Deputy National Chairman (North) and Deputy National Chairman (South).

Going by the constitution, should Ayu be removed from office, he will be replaced by the Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Damagum, who is from Yobe State.

Yobe is in the same Northeast geopolitical zone as Adamawa State where the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, hails from.

Ologunagba said: “Those calling for Ayu’s removal ought to be aware of the implication of their demand. Are they now saying that the present Deputy National Chairman (North), who is from the same Northeast zone as our presidential candidate, be made to replace Ayu, in line with the PDP constitution?

“On the other hand, we would be courting more crisis if we sideline provisions of the constitution by replacing Ayu with another officer from the South.

“We don’t want to go into the election with a constitutional crisis. We have barely six months to the election.

“Even if you say Ayu should go today, his replacement will come from the same North.

“There had been a precedence. When (Umaru) Yar’adua became our candidate (2007), Ahmadu Ali, a fellow northerner, was the national chairman and remained so until the party won the 2003 elections.

“Several organs of the party have met on different occasions and have passed a vote of confidence in his leadership and the National Working Committee.”

He added: “Elections are coming and we don’t need a distraction. You can’t destroy the whole for a part. We respect people’s rights and positions but going into negotiations, you cannot say it is either this or nothing.

“It means you’re not ready to negotiate. We are all interested in the survival of our party and our nation Nigeria. We will look at the need to do the balancing.”

The PDP spokesman appealed to Wike, George and other aggrieved parties to rather seek negotiation with stakeholders while pushing for their demands, instead of taking hardline positions.

Ologunagba, however, said the PDP will continue to recognise and respect the right of every member to express opinions, which may not necessarily reflect the view of a majority of members.

On the position of George, Ologunagba said: “We respect his views but his views cannot be equated with the view of the majority of our members.

“The view of a member, no matter how highly placed, cannot equate to that of the majority of members.

(Nation)