Fresh Trouble In PDP As Stakeholders Tell Iyorchia Ayu To Resign As National Chairman

A fresh crisis is looming in the ranks of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party as a group of stakeholders identified as PDP Concerned League has demanded the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s National Chairman.

The group in a press briefing on Wednesday also demanded the resignation of Samuel Anyanwu, PDP national secretary, and Umar Bature, the party’s national organising secretary.

Naija News reports the group wants the national officers to resign from office on or before June 20, 2022.

Narrating the offence brought against the PDP national officers, the leader of the group, Daboikiabo Warmate accused them of selling the party’s 2023 tickets to the highest bidders, manipulating delegates’ lists and impunity in running party affairs.

Warmate added that with the flagrant disregard for members, the current PDP leadership can’t lead them to victory in 2023.

“Since the coming on board of the Iyorchia Ayu-led national working committee, some of the NWC have been immersed in one scandal or the other to the detriment of PDP,” he said.

“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 range from giving tickets to the highest bidders, to subsisting expulsion that may cost PDP exclusion from the 2023 polls, to the hijacking of the 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 Ugochenyire in the Ideato north and south federal constituency race in Imo state, and right honourable Sherif Oborevwori in the Delta state gubernatorial race, among others.

“This has presented PDP to Nigerians as a party that cannot involve and invoke its political principle and morality.

“Ayu and co., six months in office, can be shamefully described as the darkest part of the history of our great party. With them at the helm of affairs of PDP, PDP will most likely lose the 2023 general election because their unpopular decisions, actions and inactions have led to the emergence of some unpopular candidates, candidates with K-legs, court cases, disenfranchisement, the crisis in some state chapters, decamping of some party members to other parties and the likelihood of PDP not able to present a candidate for the general election in some states, and have also given the party an unprintable image.”

Particularly, the group submitted that Atiku Abubakar should not have emerged as the PDP presidential candidate for 2023 as his emergence is against the principle of zoning.

According to them, a southerner should have gotten the party’s ticket.

“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,” the group said.

“Therefore, we call on the national chairman, national secretary and national organising secretary to, without any further delay, tender their resignation letters and hand over every party document and other 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.”

Warmate added that if the officers refuse to resign as recommended, then they should be ready for massive protests at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja.

He said “failure to tender their resignation letters on or before the 20th of June, 2022, will attract protest at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja and other forms of pressure for them to resign”.

“They have displayed enough impunity, and insensitivity that has never been seen or heard in the history of our great party.”