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PDP Crisis: Wike’s Allies Demand Ayu’s Resignation As Condition For Peace
Wike’s side said Ayu would need to step down for there to be harmony in the opposition party.
Allies of Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, have demanded the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), TheCable can report.
Sources said the allies made the demand when Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP, met with them in an attempt to resolve the rift between him and Wike.
Meanwhile, it has also emerged that some members of the PDP national working committee national (NWC) are pushing for a probe of the party’s finances under Ayu’s watch.
Thursday’s meeting, which was also attended by governors Seyi Makinde, Samuel Ortom and Okezie Ikpeazu, was held at Carlton Hotel in London.
Six PDP governors are thought to be aligned with Wike in his face-off with Atiku who reportedly angered them by saying he did not pick Wike as his running mate because he cannot work with him.
Atiku was accused of being “impolitic”, further worsened by public statements made by former governors Sule Lamido and Babangida Aliyu which Wike’s associates consider “disparaging”.
Lamido described Wike as an “emperor” and said Atiku did not need him to win the presidential election.
TheCable reported how the PDP standard bearer embarked on a frantic trip to the UK to have a parley with Wike — after the latter’s meeting with Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), in France, earlier in the week.
The meeting between Wike and Tinubu is said to have explored the possibility of the Rivers governor working for the APC at the polls.
A crisis rocked the boat of the main opposition party after it held its presidential primary election in May.
Party stakeholders expressed concerns that Abubakar ignored Wike after he chose Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, as his running mate.
Wike’s side said Ayu would need to step down for there to be harmony in the opposition party.
“Governors in Wike’s group demanded that Ayu would have to resign for peace to reign in the party. They said he is a divisive figure,” a source close to Atiku, who briefed TheCable after the meeting, said.
Ayu openly celebrated when Atiku won the party’s ticket, describing Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto governor who withdrew to support Atiku, as “the hero of the convention”.
In a counter to the demand for Ayu’s resignation, the former vice-president said Umar Damagum, deputy national chairman (north), would become the chairman according to the PDP constitution — meaning another person from the north would hold sway in the party.
But the governors said both would have to resign than and pave the way for Taofeek Arapaja, deputy national chairman (south), to be in charge of the party.
“They said it is about consensus for the good of the party. Atiku told them that he would think about it and get back within two weeks,” another source said.
“They also said that in 2011, Okwesilieze Nwodo resigned and paved the way for Haliru Mohammed Bello to become national chairman because the party’s presidential was coming to the south through Dr Goodluck Jonathan.”
Ayu is also faced with another brewing problem.
An insider told TheCable that some members of the NWC want Ayu to account for the funds that accrued to the party through the sale of forms and donations.
“Some of the NWC members want an audit for about N1 billion that the party got from friends of Atiku, in addition to donates from governors and sale of nomination forms,” the insider said.
The opposition party and APC raked in billions of naira through the sale of forms in the build-up to their primary elections.
(The Cable)
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, BoT, is currently holding an emergency meeting.
The meeting was called to find lasting solutions to the current leadership crisis bedeviling the party.
Those who have arrived include the BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara; Secretary of the BoT, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; and former Governors Achike Udenwa, Sam Egwu, Babangida Aliyu, Senator Ben Obi, and Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, among others.
The meeting is holding amid the crisis surrounding the struggle for who occupies the position of the PDP National Secretary.
Last week, at the PDP national secretariat, a fight broke out between Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye during its BoT meeting.
The crisis between the duo started when Anyanwu left to contest for Imo State governorship election and Ude-Okoye was was selected by the Southeast arm of the party to replace him.
This led to a lawsuit, after which the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu declared Ude-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary.
But Anyanwu said Ude-Okoye has no authority to assume the position, despite the ruling.
Anyanwu cited his appeal of the ruling at the Supreme Court as grounds for maintaining the status quo
The Nigerian Senate has approved the termination of three Resident Electoral Commissioners who have been suspended since 2023 for flouting the provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Act
The approval followed the request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging the Senate to terminate the appointments of the embattled State Resident Electoral Commissioner for Adamawa, Sokoto and Abia.
Sponsor of the motion and Leader of the Senate, Michael Bamidele Opeyemi sought the invocation of Section 157 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, saying that the law empowers the Chamber to approve the request.
Those whose appointments will be terminated include, Dr Nura Ali, Sokoto State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari, Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner and Professor Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu, Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner respectively.
He said, “Aware that the aforementioned Resident Commissioners were earlier suspended in 2023, bordering on allegations of infractions of the Electoral Act; compromise of elections and abandonment of duty without cogent reasons.”
A copy of the motion sighted by Newsmen on Wednesday revealed that the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, and the Department of State Services, DSS, indicted Dr. Nura Ali in their reports, having confessed to corruption, incompetence and receiving bribe to the tune of $150,000 from politicians.
According, the plenary which was presided by the Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio activated the relevant provisions of the Constitution and approve the termination of appointment of the affected Commissioners.
President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Wednesday for a private visit to Paris, France, before proceeding to Addis Ababa for the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Heads of State.
“The president will arrive in Addis Ababa early next week for the AU summit,” Mr Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman, said in a statement.
The AU Summit is scheduled to hold from Feb. 12th to 16th.
“In Addis Ababa, President Tinubu will join African leaders at the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council and the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Heads of State, scheduled for Feb. 12th to 16th.
Hea said while in France, President Tinubu would meet with his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron.
BREAKING: PDP BoT holds emergency meeting amid Anyanwu, Ude-Okoye crisis
BREAKING: Senate approves termination of appointment of 3 Resident Electoral Commissioners
Tinubu Departs for France Ahead of AU Summit
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