The leadership of the People’s Democratic Party in Osun, Ondo, and Ogun states have disowned Governor, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State bover his call for the removal of Senator Iyorchia Ayu as the National Chairman of the party.
Makinde had on Wednesday called for Ayu’s resignation at the South-West PDP stakeholders’ meeting with the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar.
“We must resolve the issue on the face of Nigerians, by asking the National Chairman to step down, so that the PDP in the Southern part of the party will feel included in the top hierarchy of the party,” Makinde had said
However, in a statement by the Osun State Caretaker Chairman of the party, Dr Akindele Adekunle, said that there was no meeting held by the South-West PDP, where they agreed on the resignation of Ayu.
Adekunle said, “The leadership of the PDP in Osun State wishes to affirm that we are not part of any revolt against the national leadership of the PDP.”
In a similar vein, a statement by the Ogun State chapter of the party kicked against the pronouncement of Makinde at the South-West PDP event, describing his statement as “ill-timed and dangerous for the well-being of the party.”
The statement read in part, “Ogun PDP strongly insists that the sanctity of the party constitution cannot be slaughtered on the altar of narrow individual whims and caprice.
“The party, at this crucial stage and time of its democratic existence, requires full concentration to remain focused on its goal of rescuing and repositioning the country for prosperity and abundance.
“Therefore, all forms of distractions should be jettisoned for the common of all”
Meanwhile, The Ondo State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kennedy Peretei, has responded to Makinde’s statement, saying it is focused on victory at the polls.
The state read in part, “Against this background, Ondo State PDP aligns itself completely with the 97th National Executive Committee meeting resolutions which passed a vote of confidence on Senator Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman of our great party.
“We unconditionally support the presidential candidate of our party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who possesses the experience and capacity to lead Nigeria to the destination of our dreams.
Defending his call for Ayu’s resignation on Friday,Chief Olabode George while featuring on Arise TV said it was surprising that some party members are advocating for the anti-Ayu group to respect the constitutional provision that supports a new chairman to emerge from the same zone as Ayu even if he (Ayu) resigns.
The elder statesman explained that if the party members can abandon the constitution and allow all zones to contest when in fairness the presidency should have been zoned to another region aside from the north, then the same can apply to Ayu’s situation for another chairman to come from the south.
He said, “On the issue of constitutionality, I referred you to the fact that our party’s constitution explicitly states and I quote: “there will be zoning and rotation of elective offices and party offices” and if we had stuck rigidly to that, there was no chance for Atiku to have emerged as the presidential candidate.
“So, when it suits you, you can refer to the constitution and when it doesn’t suit you, you can back away from the constitution. If we all on moral suasion purpose, and during a family discussion we agreed that look, people have been canvassing, spending money and going round from the last six months and since there was no definitive selection or zoning of whether it should come from the north, south, west or east, let us allow this to go now, the same principle is what will happen for Ayu.
“If we could accept the issue (sideline constitution provision) for a presidential candidate to come from any zone then, which is against what is in our constitution, then what is good for the goose is good for the gander. On this premise (Ayu’s resignation), we can do that again. Allow us for this period to do that because no matter what happens, at the end of the election, whether we win or we don’t win, there will be a convention to revisit the whole thing about these positions.
“They (those backing Ayu’s chairmanship) are making it look as if it is rigidity. We bent the constitution based on moral suasion purposes, justice, and equity to allow all the zones to contest and now when the same issue comes up to allow the south to produce the national chairman, they are now saying no, it will go against the constitution.
“It is true it will go against the constitution. But they forget there was a provision for the zoning of the presidential candidate in the constitution too but we abandoned that for unity and peace, we allowed everyone to contest and if we were able to do that at that time, what is different now?” he asked