Ayu, in rejecting Wike’s demand, says the presidential candidacy of Atiku Abubakar does not in any way affect his position as the PDP National Chairman.
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has received a direct message from the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu.
Wike reportedly demanded that for him to support the PDP in next year’s election, Ayu must resign from his post, and the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, commit to serving only one term if elected president.
Ayu has now officially responded to Wike. Speaking in an interview on the Hausa service of the BBC on Wednesday, Ayu said the presidential candidacy of Atiku Abubakar does not in any way affect his position as the PDP National Chairman.
In the interview, Ayu said, even if Atiku had come from Benue State, it would not have justified the call for his resignation.
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He insisted that he stood election for national Chairman and won a four-year term, stressing that he is yet to spend even a year and someone is calling for his resignation.
According to him: “I stood for election and I won the election and I am fixing the party, I have not stolen anything, I have not committed any offence, we will not allow one person to come and spoil the party for us with frivolous calls and conditions.
“I was elected as PDP chairman for a four-year term and I’m not up to one year, so the call for my resignation is uncalled for. The election of Abubakar Atiku as the PDP presidential candidate cannot affect my election as national chairman, even if the candidate is from Benue state, I stood for election and I was voted for by Nigerians”.
When asked in specific terms the conditions of Wike’s camp’s call for his resignation among other conditions, he said: “All that he is doing does not affect me because I know I am fixing the party, I am doing my work diligently, I have not committed any offense.
” I have not stolen any money, so there is no reason for my resignation, when we started the PDP all those ones were children, they were not there, we will not allow one person to become a spoiler, this is our country, so all that is expected of us is to fix the country, provide security and dividends of democracy when we take over power in 2023.”