The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party is presently divided over the demand by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, that the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, must resign before he would agree to reconcile with the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Top party members confided in our correspondent on Sunday that the NWC members were sharply split between those who endorsed the calls for Ayu’s removal and the ones that were against the idea.
Wike and Atiku fell apart after the former vice-president emerged as the PDP presidential candidate and selected the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate over Wike who was recommended by a panel set up by the party.
Although the PDP set up a panel to reconcile the two men, Wike’s insistence on removing the party chairman as a condition for peace had continued to generate tension in the main opposition party.
Wike had accused Ayu of being impartial, noting that he had earlier promised to resign if a northerner emerged as the party presidential candidate.
In a bid to pacify the Rivers governor, Atiku during his meeting with him and four other governors in London, United Kingdom, last Thursday, was said to have asked Wike to give him two weeks to think about the governor’s insistence on Ayu.
Atiku met with Wike a few hours after the governor held a parley with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
A member of the NWC of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told one of our correspondents that asking Ayu to resign would not resolve the crisis.
According to him, if Ayu resigns, the Deputy National Chairman, Umar Damagum, who will take over, is also representing the North.
Punch
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