PDP Crisis: “Iyorchia Ayu Can’t Be Forced To Resign” – Atiku Replies Wike’s Camp

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar said Senator Iyorchia Ayu cannot be forced to resign as the PDP National Chairman.

Atiku Tells Wike’s Camp He Can’t Force Ayu’s Resignation

The former vice-president stated this while reacting to the decision of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his allies to pull out of his campaign council.

KanyiDaily had reported that Wike’s camp vowed that none of them will participate in the campaign council unless Ayu resigns as the National Chairman of the party, for a southern candidate.

Reacting in a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, Atiku said he is surprised by the withdrawal of Wike and his associates from the PDP campaign council.

The PDP presidential candidate urged Wike and the aggrieved party chieftains to have a rethink and retrace their steps by being part of the campaign council.

The statement reads, “Early this morning, my attention was drawn to a news clip in which several very senior and influential members of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), addressed the press and, amongst other things, declared that they are withdrawing, forthwith, from the Presidential Campaign Council set up by our party to judiciously plan and prosecute the general elections set to hold in February and March 2023, on the one hand; and reiterated their earlier calls for the resignation or removal from office of the national chairman of our party, Senator Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, on the other hand.

“The people that addressed the press must have their reasons for withdrawing from the Presidential Campaign Council, and I will not speculate as to what those reasons may be.

“Personally, I am quite surprised with this withdrawal because, as I have been informed by officials of our party, apart from the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, all the remaining states of the federation submitted names of people who they wanted included in the Presidential Campaign Council.

“On the calls for the resignation or removal from office of our national chairman, however, I must reiterate what I have said severally in public and in private; the decision for Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign from office is personal to Dr. Ayu and, neither I nor anyone else can make that decision for him.

“As to the calls for the removal of Dr. Ayu from office, however, I will state that, as a committed democrat and firm believer in the rule of law and democratic tenets, and our party being one set up, organized and regulated by law and our constitution, it is my absolute belief that everything that we do in our party must be done in accordance with, and conformity to, the law and our constitution.

“Now, our nation is currently in the throes of a multidimensional crisis encompassing insecurity, economic meltdown, disunity and mutual mistrust and educational dislocations, to mention a few.

“I have a plan to address these issues and I have, graciously, been given the ticket to lead our great party in next year’s presidential elections, with the singular mandate to come and lead the efforts to cure these ills.”

“Every single person who loves this country, as I do, is needed for the arduous tasks that face us ahead as a nation, and this includes every member of the PDP.

And it is my fervent hope and prayer that every man and woman of goodwill will join hands with us to help rebuild and reposition our beloved country.

“In this light, therefore, I will urge those members of our party that have stated their resolve to withdraw from the Presidential Campaign Council to have a rethink, retrace their steps, and join us in these efforts.

“The above notwithstanding, and for the sake of our country, our children, and those yet unborn, we must not, for one minute, shirk in our responsibilities to rebuild this beloved country of ours.

“Accordingly, we must forge on with the task and the mandate that we have been bestowed with. It is time, therefore, to move on with the formidable tasks of nation building ahead of us.

“May God guide us all, and may God soothe our great party, and our dear country.”

Few days ago, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, who is a strong ally of Wike warned Atiku that ignoring the Rivers governor and his ally was dangerous.