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Wike’s Camp Pencil Down Former South-west State Governor As Ayu’s Replacement

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Indications have emerged that the camp of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is plotting to replace the embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, with a former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.

Naija News reports that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, who leads a group in the PDP, has called on the National Chairman of the main opposition party to resign.

Wike, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State had pulled out of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council until their demands are met.

Other members of the group are former PDP deputy national chairman, Olabode George, Donald Duke, Ayo Fayose, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Mimiko, Senator Jonah Jang, former governors of Cross River, Ekiti, Gombe, Ondo, and Plateau states respectively, amongst others.

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However, Ayu has maintained that he would not resign, with the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar insisting that he cannot force Ayu to quit his position, except through constitutional means.

A source, who told Daily Sun that Wike and his allies have jetted out of the country for another round of strategy sessions, have penciled down Mimiko as a replacement outside PDP’s constitution.

According to sources, Wike and his allies want Ayu and the PDP’s National deputy chairmen to resign to pave the way for the former Ondo State governor.

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A source said: “They are unrelenting. They are exploring different options to force Ayu out. But they would prefer the national chairman to just resign quietly. They already penciled down Mimiko as a replacement. This is why Mimiko is with them.”

When reminded that Ayu’s removal and his replacement outside the provision of the party’s constitution could bring up legal issues, the source said: “The Wike camp doesn’t care. Their interest is to make a statement that they can’t be ignored. They want to dictate what happens.”

But a former PDP national vice chairman (South West), Eddy Olafeso, told Daily Sun that sacking Ayu before the presidential campaign begins would not serve any useful purpose.

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He said: “For all pragmatic purposes, the election is just a couple of months away. What should be important and uppermost in the mind of all PDP leaders is how to win that election. The issue of the national chairman can wait. But revamping and rescuing Nigeria cannot wait. We want to appeal to everybody to see reason.

“I don’t think it will augur well for our party to dabble into unconstitutionality just a couple of months to the election. Removing Ayu for what purposes? All of us must go along with the just concluded NEC that passed a vote of confidence in Ayu. That is my advice to everybody. It will not augur well for anybody to continue to fight at this moment.”