PDP Crisis: Setback For Atiku/Wike Talks as Atiku Camp Shut Down Ayu’s Removal

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar is rallying critical organs of the party to support the retention of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as national chairman until after the 2023 general election.

The camp of Atiku is insisting that Ayu should not vacate office despite the insistence of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, his allies, and serving PDP governors that the chairman should step down as a condition for supporting Atiku’s presidential bid.

A source said Atiku is seeking the support of the National Executive Committee (NEC), the Board of Trustees (BoT), the National Caucus, the National Assembly Caucus, the National Working Committee (NWC) and the 36 PDP state chairmen and that of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to ensure that Ayu is not shoved aside.

Besides the critical organs, it was also learnt that all the aspirants that contested the PDP presidential ticket with Atiku will also be co-opted into the all-inclusive rapprochement move.

A source close to the Atiku camp, who confirmed the proposed move, said stakeholders have canvassed the need to adopt persuasion instead of a confrontational approach in the proposed discussion with Wike and his loyalists.

The source, who did not want his name in print because of the sensitive nature of the matter, however, maintained that the demand by the Wike camp for the party leadership to address the present North/South power dichotomy was a legitimate one.

According to him: “Of course, we have all come to terms with the reality of the lopsided configuration in the PDP hierarchy where we have our presidential candidate, national chairman and BoT chairman from the North.

“We also appreciate the position being canvased by Governor Wike and his loyalists, who are mainly from the South, that it will appear awkward to voters in their respective states for PDP to parade only northerners as the party’s topmost leaders, in addition to a presidential candidate from the North during campaigns.

“But the reality on the ground calls for caution on the part of everyone because we believe that there is enough room for further consultation and negotiation that would assuage frayed nerves. It is a work in progress and we can make a success of it if we are really committed to the unity of our great party.”

Another source blamed what he described as the desperation for power by both the Atiku and Wike camps for the present state of affairs in the party.

According to the source, the two camps were responsible for the bungling of the party’s zoning arrangement while scheming for the PDP presidential ticket ahead of the October 2021 national convention that produced Ayu and other NWC members.

The source said: “The original arrangement was for the South to produce the National Chairman.

“But some people ensured that the plan changed along the line and many of us were surprised when they suddenly came up with the idea of picking the National Chairman from the North.

“We were later told that there was an unwritten agreement that Ayu would step down for a southerner if our presidential candidate eventually emerged from the North and this is what has brought us to where we are today.”

When asked if indeed there was such agreement, the source retorted: “Which agreement are you talking about when we all know the position of Section 45 of the PDP constitution on the matter?

“It is obvious that some people out-manoeuvred and schemed out their competitors. But that is also part of politics.”

Section 45(2) of the PDP constitution prescribes that in the event of the seat of a national chairman becoming vacant on account of resignation, or for any other reason, the deputy national chairman from his region shall take his seat and complete what is left of his/her tenure.

In the case of Ayu, the deputy national chairman is Amb. Umar Damagum, who is from Yobe State, in the Northeast zone where Atiku also comes from.

Against the expectations of the Wike camp that the PDP presidential candidate would be zoned to the South, the PDP leadership under Ayu had instead, set up a Zoning Committee with Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom as chairman.

The next day, the party leadership announced the commencement of the sale of nomination forms for the 2023 election. Incidentally, Atiku was the first to purchase the N40 million presidential nomination form.

This was long before the Ortom-led zoning committee was officially inaugurated.

After weeks of doublespeak, the zoning committee recommended that the contest for the ticket be thrown open to all comers.

After Atiku emerged as flag bearer, the Wike camp had expected to get the vice presidential slot, which was given to the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, leaving Wike and his loyalists high and dry.

In order not to lose out completely, the Rivers Governor’s camp is now demanding the replacement of Ayu with another person from the Southwest.

But the Atiku camp has countered that going by the PDP constitution, Ayu can only be replaced with a Southerner through a mini-convention.

The process involves the selection of a new national chairman from another region who will take charge in the interim on a caretaker basis.

A proper national convention will then be convened at a future date to ratify the tenure of the officer to be so appointed.

But barely a month to the September 28 date for the take-off of the 2023 electioneering campaign, a mini-convention appears a less viable alternative for the PDP.

This may weaken the resistance of the Wike camp and make it amenable to the wish of the Atiku camp, which by all indications, has resolved to retain Ayu as chairman.