THE Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) publicity secretaries in the South West zone have expressed support for the party’s embattled national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
In a statement issued on Saturday September 17 in Lagos, the group said continuous calls by some chieftains in the party for Ayu’s resignation had no justification but were mere efforts to sabotage the party’s victory in the 2023 general polls.
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“We do not see any justification for the resignation of our National chairman especially at this very critical stage of preparation for elections,” the group stated.
The party’s publicity secretary in Ondo State, Kennedy Peretei, who briefed journalists, said, “On behalf of the leadership of the PDP’s state chapters in Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti and Lagos states, we the publicity secretaries in these states dissociate ourselves from calls for the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as the PDP National Chairman.
“Ayu was duly elected at a properly constituted National Convention with a four-year mandate and recently received a vote of confidence of the party’s National Executive Committee at its 97th meeting in Abuja.
“Our party has championed the sanctity of the PDP Constitution (2017 as amended). We must, therefore, do everything to maintain this sanctity.
“Any action that undermines the spirit of the party’s constitution at this crucial stage can only be considered a deliberate attempt to sabotage the party’s efforts at winning in the coming general elections.
“We appeal to the leadership of our party in the Southwest region to work together to respect the Constitution of our party because, if we cannot respect our own rules, guidelines and constitution as a party, how will Nigerians trust us to respect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria when voted into the office.”
The group called on those championing the call for the resignation of the chairman to focus on rallying round the party’s candidates vying for various positions in next year’s elections.
“The mission to rescue, rebuild and redirect Nigeria is a task that must be done, to save our country from imminent total collapse,” Peretei said.
The PDP has been embroiled in crisis since its presidential primary, which Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, won.
With Iyorchia Ayu, also a northerner the national chairman of the party, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has been at the forefront of the call for Ayu to resign that position to address the “marginalization of the southern part of the country” in the party’s top executive positions.
Ayu’s chances of leading the PDP into the 2023 general elections has, however, received a boost after receiving a vote of confidence from the party’s National Executive Committee last week.
Sinafi Omanga is a multimedia journalist and researcher with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. He has a keen interest in humanitarian reporting, social justice, and environment.
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@OmangaSinafi
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somanga@icirnigeria.org