By Gideon Njoku
“When we started PDP, these children were not around. They are children who do not know why we formed the Party”
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, has called those asking him to step down from office children who do not know the ABC of why the Party was formed. He said they were children who do not know anything about the Party.
Ayu spoke to the BBC Hausa Service on the seeming crisis in the Party and the calls for him to step down from office.
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who is leading a Camp in the Party, has allegedly been asking for Ayu to step down as a pre-condition to any peace talk.
The relationship between Wike and the Party has been frosty since after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, defeated Wike at the Presidential Primary to clinch the PDP ticket. The relationship worsened when Atiku picked Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate instead of Wike who was expectant.
Every effort made to make peace between Atiku and Wike has apparently been rebuffed by Wike who has been openly romancing Presidential candidates of other Parties, and making statements unbecoming of a Party faithful, and what could be called anti-party. According to the allegation, the argument of Wike’s Camp is: Since the Presidential candidate is from the North, the Party Chairman should be from the South, especially, as the Chairman Board of Trustees is, also, from the North.
But on Wednesday, Ayu, in the interview with the BBC Hausa Service called Camp Wike’s bluff. He said he would neither resign, nor would the Party allow any individual to destroy it. He said Atiku’s election as the Presidential candidate has nothing to do with his own election as the National Chairman of the Party. “I was elected to a four-year tenure, and I have not even done one year yet”, Ayu told his interviewer.
He said even if he stepped down, those calling for him to do so would not step into his shoes.
Ayu: “I didn’t commit any offence, I’m only reforming the Party so I am not bothered by all these noises. I know I’m doing my job, and I didn’t steal any money, so I see no reason for all these talks.
“When we started PDP, these children were not around. They are children who do not know why we formed the Party. We will not allow any individual to destabilize our Party.”
For the records, Wike was instrumental to the removal of the immediate past Chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus, from office before the end of his tenure. Incidentally, Wike was, also, instrumental to his election as National Chairman. But they soon fell apart with Wike describing Secondus as incompetent, and the later insisting that Wike wanted to run his office for him.
Both men are from Rivers State. The current Chairman, Dr Ayu, is from Benue State.
