Governor Wike’s Camp Pulls Out Of Atiku’s Presidential Campaign, Insists PDP Chairman, ‘Ayu Must Go’

The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened as members loyal to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, have pulled out of the campaign council of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Members of Governor Wike camp on Wednesday, while announcing their discontinuation with the Atiku’s campaign council insisted that the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, must resign.

According to them, Ayu must resign to allow for an acting National Chairman of Southern Nigeria extraction to emerge and lead the party’s National Campaign Council for Atiku in the 2023 general elections.

This is coming in spite of the vote of confidence passed on the Ayu-led National Working Committee by the recent meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party.

The members of Wike camp said that the resignation of Ayu whose hands have not been clean is necessary in order to ensure equity, justice and unity in the party.

Their decision came after their meeting held at the country home of Governor Wike, in which PDP members including the founding members of the party, Governorship candidates, former Governors, former Ministers and leaders of the party from across the country in a resolution read by former Deputy National Chairman, Olabode George maintained that their position is not negotiable.

They noted that Ayu’s continuous stay in office as the party’s National Chairman undermines the constitution and unity of the party.
They further accused Ayu of compromise, especially in the role he played during the conduct of the party’s May 28 and 29 presidential primary in Abuja.

They also pointed out that their support for Governor Wike is not because he lost the Presidential Primary election or that he was not picked as the Vice Presidential Candidate of the party but their stance for equity and justice in the party.
With the campaigns for the 2023 general elections in Nigeria set to kick off in the next few days, the latest development is surely another setback for the PDP in its quest to win the 2023 general elections.