PDP Crisis: Call For Ayu’s Removal As National Chairman Unnecessary  – Lamido

The former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has rejected the call by supporters of Governor Nyesom Wike of River State for the sacking of the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu.

Naija News earlier reported that some of Wike’s loyalists had demanded the removal of the party’s national chairman and the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.

The loyalists of the Rivers governor called for the restructuring of the party’s leadership to accommodate more Southerners and made other demands.

They stated that Northerners cannot occupy the positions of the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, National Chairman and the Governors’ Forum Chairman.

Reacting to the demands in a chat with The Punch on Thursday, Lamido stated that the call for the removal of the party’s national chairman was unnecessary.

The former Jigawa governor added that Ayu was one of the founding fathers of the PDP who has sacrificed for the growth of the party.

Lamido added that those calling for the Ayu’s removal are not being fair to the history and legacy of the main opposition party.

He said, “I don’t know. It is all to your own imagination. You people see it as entertaining to you, reporting some news that can bring sensation and controversy. That is what you people are doing in the press, creating a situation so that you can sell your papers.

“Iyorchia Ayu was one of the founding fathers of the PDP, nine of us; I tell you in 1998, when others were following (Sani) Abacha, all others were following Abacha’s transformation agenda.

“But Iyorchia Ayu, Jerry Gana, myself and then late Abubakar Rimi, late Solomon Lar, late Bola Ige, late Alex Ekwueme, late Adamu Ciroma; we are the ones.

“Out of nine who died, three are alive now others dead. So even for those who died, even for their memory, we should sustain the legacy of the PDP. When you say Iyorchia Ayu has to be removed. I ask by who for God sake? Where were you in 1998? So this should be beyond entertainment.

“The PDP is a serious party, it is a very serious party for God sake. When you begin to embarrass the party, ‘remove Mr A, remove Mr B’, you are not been fair to the party of history and legacy. Because the more you create controversies, the more you are creating tension and the more you divide the party and that is not good for Nigeria.
So, you have to be serious in what we say, in what we demand, how we behave.”

Asked about the likely choice of the Campaign DG, Lamido retorted, “One thing at a time, please. You people keep preempting us. You keep putting preemptive questions, trying to create sensation. We are trying to harmonise the party.”