2023: Pressure mounts on Atiku to dump Ayu as PDP crisis deepens 

By OBINNA EZUGWU

A longtime ally of Atiku Abubakar, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was instrumental to the emergence of the former vice president as the party’s presidential candidate in May. However, as the days roll by, and crisis escalate in the opposition party, Atiku is facing increasing pressure to ask his friend to step aside in the interest of his presidential ambition. 

Though not disposed to Ayu leaving before the elections, events of last week, which saw Nyesom Wike, Rivers State governor and Ayu trade harsh words, party sources say, have troubled the former vice president who is not unaware of the far reaching consequences losing Wike, and by extension, his allies, potentially to his All Progressives Congress (APC) opponent, Bola Tinubu, could have on his 2023 power bid.

“I believe that ultimately, Ayu would have to go,” said a source close to the former vice president who craved anonymity. “Yes, letting him go would have its own consequences because he also represents some interests and has his own loyalists within the party, but you have to weigh the options, and obviously Wike is important.”

Dr. Ayu may not have been the chief instigator of Wike’s anger – the Rivers governor having particularly taken offense at Atiku’s decision to snub him for Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta State, in his choice of running mate – but determined to make a point, Wike has insisted on his resignation as the key condition for truce, his main reason being that the Benue politician cannot remain in office when the presidential candidate of the party, as well as the chairman of the board of trustees, the national youth leader, among others, are people from the north.

But it would appear that the Rivers governor has other reasons for wanting the national chairman out. Ayu, a long time ally of Atiku, had actively worked, it was gathered, to ensure his emergence as presidential candidate, and had indeed, betrayed his bias for him when he hailed Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto State, as “hero of the hour” for stepping down for him at the eleventh hour, a move many believe ultimately tipped the scale against the Rivers governor.

And although Wike who stormed out of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, venue of the primary election in anger, eventually decided to put everything behind him and work for the success of the ticket, perhaps believing that he would get the vice presidential ticket, Atiku’s decision to chose Okowa, even after the party’s panel recommended him for the slot, infuriated him and set the stage for the ongoing events.

“If you look at it critically, you will understand that Wike wants to make a point, and I know he won’t back down until Ayu resigns,” said George Eze, party chieftain in Enugu State. “Wike’s anger has more to do with Okowa’s choice. Remember that Delta delegates voted Atiku at the convention, and Wike was angry with him for what he called betrayal. So, Atiku’s decision was more like rewarding Okowa for the betrayal, and that’s why Wike wants to make a point.”

The Rivers governor, had on Friday, after heated exchanges with Ayu, jetted out to London with his allies, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia State, and Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue. The trio would be eventually joined by Seyi Makinde, Oyo State governor who is currently on vacation overseas.

The Rivers governor and his entourage, according to sources, is to hold further consultations with Tinubu, APC presidential candidate, as the political horse-trading ahead of the 2023 polls continues.

Wike had first met with Tinubu in London a fortnight ago, but sources said no agreements were reached, and he subsequently met with Atiku and Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the UK capital. His return could mean yet another round of meetings, but Wike who has a governorship candidate, among others, to deliver in Rivers, is unlikely to abandon the PDP.

In line with the PDP constitution, Ayu, a northerner, ought to make way for a southerner, given that the presidential candidate is from the north, and had indeed promised to step down in the event that a northerner emerges candidate.

But his backers say he should stay on until the party takes power, a scenario that has become a major point of argument.

“Ayu was chosen by all the governors, including Wike. That is why he emerged as a consensus candidate. So asking for Ayu’s removal is uncalled for. Are they saying they didn’t know he was a Northerner before they gave him the consensus candidacy of the party? All the Governors, including Wike spent their money to make Ayu the National Chairman,” argued Dino Melaye, former Kogi West senator.

“So its too late to call for his removal when we have not even conducted an election. But if and when by the grace of God Atiku becomes the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or if he becomes President-elect, then we can now go back to the negotiation table and then treat the issue of Ayu. But for now, it is very premature and we cannot commit abortion.”

Ayu, whose ascension to the throne of the PDP was seamless, could not have anticipated that less than 10 months on, he would be facing imminent exit; events had conspired in his favour.

The party’s southern leaning zoning committee had opted to cede chairmanship position to the north, in the expectation that the south would then take the presidential ticket. But the north, determined to take the ticket, pushed back.

In the end, the choice of Ayu, a former senator from Benue State, north central – the middle belt zone – came as some sort of compromise. He’s a northerner by geography, which meant that the south could continue to hope for the presidential ticket.

But, though a northerner, he’s a Christian from a state that shares boundary with south, which also meant that the core north did not lose its moral power to continue to aspire for the presidential flag.

The race for the PDP presidential ticket, thus continued till the last day, pitting Wike against Atiku as the two leading contenders. In the end, Atiku emerged victorious at the May 28 national convention, beating Wike to second place.

Ayu, Tambuwal, among other northern interest groups had successfully outmaneuvered Wike and his southern contingent – who were also “betrayed” by a number of southern states.

But Atiku’s victory at the convention means that the south has grounds to argue that both the presidential candidate, the national chairman and indeed, the party’s Board of Trustees Chairman are northerners, against party’s constitution, and against the principles of fair play.

And Wike, whose disappointment at losing the presidential ticket to Atiku was compounded by Atiku’s decision to shun him in favour of Okowa, in his choice of running mate, has since latched on this to demand that Ayu resigns, what has become a major sticking point in the crisis that has enveloped the party in the wake of Wike’s fury at being snubbed in the choice of veepee slot.

Ayu did not himself help matters when on Wednesday, during an interview with BBC Hausa, he dismissed the Rivers governor and those seeking his resignation as children that were not around when the party was formed.

“I was voted as PDP Chairman for a four-year tenure and I’m yet to complete a year. Atiku’s victory doesn’t affect the chairman’s position. I won my election based on our party’s constitution,” he had said.

“I didn’t commit any offense, I’m only reforming the party so I’m not bothered with all the noises. I know I’m doing my work and I didn’t steal any money so I see no reason for all these talks. When we started PDP, these children were not around. They are children who do not know why we formed the party. We will not allow any individual to destabilize our party.”

As expected, Wike hit back the next day, Thursday. Speaking at the inauguration of roads in Ikwerre LGA of the state, said those who Ayu described as children brought him from nothing to be chairman of the party, while promising to help the party lose election in 2023.

“You can imagine what power can do. You can imagine how ingratitude, how people can be ingrates in their lives,” Wike said.

“I thought as a chairman of a party who wants to win elections, your business is to bring peace to your party; your business is not to divide your party. Your business is not to show arrogance to your party. Yes, the children brought you to be chairman of the party. The children brought you from the gutter to make you chairman.

“Ayu, you were impeached as senate president. Ayu, you were sacked by Obasanjo in his administration. Arrogance cannot take you anywhere. Now, we have seen that you don’t want the party to win the election. We will help you. These children, these people you call boys, brought you from nothing.”

Perhaps, as a way of seeking a truce, the PDP chairman said on Friday that wold no longer be responding to Wike, while blaming the APC for attributing false statements against the governor to him.

Ayu’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Simon Imobo-Tswam, citing one of the posts purportedly sponsored by the APC, said: “One post (from one Lawal Garba, but purporting to be from the PDP national chairman) states that Ayu says he cannot talk to a man who ‘cannot father a child!’

“Another post, with a photograph of Wike and a lady with some children (from Igbere TV) claims that the governor is not ‘the biological father of his three kids.”

“Nothing can be more diabolical, senseless and amateurish. Descending so low is neither in Ayu’s character nor nature.

“Those planting these stories against the PDP and her national chairman are simply showing their lack of intelligence.

“We state, categorically and without equivocation, that the posts are completely false. Even the inelegant construction of the posts puts them beneath Ayu.

“Dr. Ayu never said anything after Wike’s statements yesterday, and does not intend to say anything in response.

“This is even more senseless as the national chairman has met Gov. Wike’s children on a number of times.

“We advise the APC and other mischievous people engaged in this shameful and criminal enterprise to be more professional next time.

“As for the Lawal Garba and Igbere TV, if they do not desist from this evil path, we may be forced to invite security agents into the matter.”

More party chieftains, including Chief Bode George, former deputy national chairman, south; Mohammed Adoke, former attorney general of the federation, among others, have since joined in the push for Ayu’s ouster, with the latter describing him as “an agent of destruction” who wants to ruin Atiku’s chances in 2023.

George, who is from the Southwest, is insisting on the chairmanship coming to the zone, with Taofeek Arapaja, deputy national chairman, south, primed to take the role.

“It is more honourable for Ayu to keep his word and step down so that we can all be united going into the election,” said Diran Odeyemi, former deputy national secretary of the party. “If the crisis continues like this, the party is in big trouble.”

But others have also favoured his continued stay pending the outcome of the election.

“Let him (Wike) come to terms with us so that we can have victory; keeping the APC in power is sentencing Nigerians to a life of irredeemable frustration and despair, and that is dangerous. We want to win power back to Nigerians and we want to have democracy at its best in this country,” said Ebenezer Babatope, former minister of transport and former member of the party’s BoT in an interview.

“I think we have passed the stage of asking someone to resign now. Why do we need to do that at this stage? The victory of the party is the most important thing to us. If Iyorchia Ayu is removed as the chairman and another person is brought in, how are we sure that he will ensure victory for the party?”

NWC to meet on Thursday

Meanwhile, the National Executive Council of the party will hold its meeting on Thursday, September 8, 2022 to discuss the crisis, party sources said on Friday.

Amid the calls for Ayu’s removal, the party had in a statement by its national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, postponed its National Caucus and NEC meetings earlier scheduled for August 10 and 11, 2022, citing unforeseen circumstances.

Crisis to be resolved soon- Party spokesperson

Amid the crisis, however, party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, while interacting with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, argued that the internal wrangling won’t affect the party’s chances in the 2023 general elections.

According to him, the misunderstanding will soon be resolved.

“The PDP is alive. We are active and we are working hard on our mission statement. We are working on our campaign council. In a couple of days it will be unveiled for the people to see,” he said.

“Irrespective of what we are reading in the newspapers, I can tell you that the PDP is firm and ready for the 2023 general elections. We tell our members and Nigerians that the PDP is here and the darkness is going and the countdown has started.”
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