Wike Adamant: Nothing Will Make Me Change My Mind On Resignation Of Ayu
The Evangelist edition
October 13, 2022
By Okafor OFIEBOR
The crises in the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP may not end anytime soon as Governor Nyesom Wike insisted that the only path for peace is for Iyorchia Ayu to quit as the chairman of the party.
The Rivers State Governor spoke on Wednesday night against speculations that the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar has suspended his campaign for 2023 election over the crises in the party which has persisted over continued stay of Ayu in office.
Wike, four governors and some other PDP chieftains in their camp had boycotted the launch of Atiku’s presidential campaign some days ago in Cross River over their demand that Ayu should vacate office in accordance to the zoning policy of the party.
They argued that it is against the zoning policy of the party for a Northerner to hold the presidential ticket and the chairmanship slot of the party.
But Atiku had refused to wholly support the call, while insisting that any plan to removal Ayu must be in line with the party’s constitution.
However, reports indicated that with the boycott of the launch of his campaign, Atiku is planning to send a strong team made up of former Rivers governor Peter Odili, former Senate President David Mark and others to sheathe their words over Ayu.
However, such may be futile in resolving the crises as Wike declared that nobody can convince him to change his stance that the PDP should yield its national Chairman position to Southern Nigeria on Wednesday evening.
Wike, maintained that he cannot be convinced to support the current status quo, where the PDP Presidential candidate, national chairman and the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign council are all from the north.
According to a press statement by Kelvin Ebiri, his Special Assistant on Media, Wike made the assertion when he hosted Cross River State PDP governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, House of Assembly candidates and PDP local government party Chairmen, at his private residence in Rumueprikom.
During the meeting which was also attended by the party’s South-South national vice chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, Wike explained that the seeming intractable crisis in the party had lingered because some vested interests, whom he described as “hyenas and rent seekers,” have remained obstinate and averse to justice, fairness and equity in the party.
“We have finished Presidential primaries, we have a presidential candidate. Is Wike saying remove Presidential candidate? Is Wike saying remove Vice Presidential candidate? So, what are you begging me for? All I am saying, and I will continue to say is that you have taken President, give us (national) Chairman.
“Nobody wants to speak the truth. If I am saying remove the Presidential candidate, if I am saying remove the vice presidential candidate, then you will say why is he doing this.”
According to him, refusal to cede the national chairman position to the South, will be a recipe for crisis.
