As calls for the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu, to resign is gathering momentum, Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State on Thursday, urged leaders in the party to keep to their promises.
Udom who was just announced as the Chairman of Atiku Abubakar’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, said Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his allies have the right to express their views, noting that they won’t be ignored.
NPO reported yesterday,the decision of pro-Wike to pull out of Atiku Presidential Campaign Council.
The pro-Wike maintained that there was no going back on the call for Ayu’s resignation as the national chairman of the party.
Chief Bode George who read their resolution after a long hours meeting said Ayu should step down to allow a Southerner occupy the position for the sake of equity and justice.
“We resolve that we are deeply concerned by the division in our party. We are aware that over the years our party has developed conflict resolution mechanisms that guarantee inclusiveness.
“The published presidential campaign council list translates to putting the cat before the horse. The pertinent issue remains the resolution of the leadership which is a departure of
“Senator Iyorchia Ayu must resign as the National Chairman of the party for an acting Chairman of the Southern Nigerian extraction to emerge and lead the party on the national campaign.
“Consequently, we resolve not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
In his reaction,Oyo State Governor,Seyi Makinde advised the party to listen to the voice of reason and do the needful.
Reacting to the withdrawal of pro-wike from his campaign train,Atiku in a statement also on Wednesday said he can’t decide the resignation of Ayu, a former senator from Benue State and who is currently on a two-week trip abroad.
The presidential candidate of PDP also urged Wike’s camp to “have a rethink, retrace their steps” and join his 2023 presidential quest.
Further maintaining their stand later in the day,Chief Olabode George while seaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday night said before the presidential primary of the party in May 2022, Ayu promised to resign should a northerner emerge but the former senator has insisted that he won’t step down, a development that triggered Wike and his allies.
Speaking on Thursday, Udom said though it may be lawful for a leader to retain his seat but it may also be expedient for him to vacate his position for the sake of peace.
“This is a family business. Nyesom Wike is my brother, you all know that…One thing I discovered about politics and life: people should try to do what they say they will do; that is the cause of some of the problems. If I say I will do B if A happens, let me keep to that. If I say I will do B if C happens, let me also keep to that,” Udom said on Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily.
Both Wike and Udom, from the South-South geopolitical zone, had contested the presidential primary with Atiku in May but the Adamawa-born politician won.
Udom, who described Wike as his “blood brother”, said his dissatisfaction won’t be ignored.
On his absence from the meeting in Port Harcourt where Wike’s group announced its withdrawal, Udom said, “Don’t worry about that now. We sensationalise matters a whole lot. What we try to do is that we try to box individuals to our own lifestyle, it cannot work like that; we are all adults. We know what is good for us, we know what is right for us.
“So, allow people to air their views but don’t also ignore people. We cannot ignore anybody if we must win elections in 2023. We cannot ignore anybody, we need to go back and carry everybody along. We are not going to ignore any dissenting voice.”
“You don’t ignore issues and believe the issue will go away. This is one thing we will not ignore. We will take it headlong and resolve it,” he added.
According to the Akwa Ibom governor, the disagreement within the party is “not high mountains that is so difficult to climb”.
“It is not about mentioning people’s name; everybody has a right to express his own views the way he want. PDP is a family. I can assure you we will resolve it.”