The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has stated that the demand by some political big wigs in his party, calling for the resignation of the National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, was achievable.
Atiku disclosed this when he met with PDP stalwarts in Ibadan, on Wednesday.
Wike had faulted the emergence of Atiku as the presidential flag bearer, Iyorchia Ayu, Chairman of the party, and Sen. Walid Jibrin, chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, all from the northern part of the country.
Wike accused the party of violating the principles of equity, fairness and balance, noting that the laws guiding the party has been trampled upon.
He insisted that Ayu should honorably do the right thing (resign), and allow a southerner become the party’s chairman.
Addressing the issue, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sen. Walid Jibrin tendered his resignation letter, paving way for a former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, (from South-East) to become the new BoT Chairman.
With Jibrin’s resignation, Wike also insisted that the right thing must be done. He stated that Ayu must resign from his position.
However, supporting Wike today, Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde said: “The truth is that we do not have any issue either with our party or our candidate. If there are challenges they must be tabled.
“We are supposed to give hope to our people, we want them to listen to us.
“Our party wants to rescue Nigeria and our candidate is a unifier. He wants to restructure Nigeria
“Eight years of the All Progressives Congress have left us sharply divided. The issue is we must practice what we preach. If we want to unify Nigeria, we must unify the PDP first.
“If we want to restructure Nigeria, we must have the willingness to bring inclusivity to the PDP. Do we have the capacity? The answer is resounding yes.
“The message from the South-West PDP is the South-West is asking that the National Working Committee of the PDP should be restructured.
“We are asking the National Chairman to step down so that the South will be fully included. That is the message.”
But reacting to Makinde’s statement, Atiku said that Ayu’s resignation is achievable through the constitution guiding the party.
His words: “I have no problem about anywhere any party member comes from but it must be done in accordance to the party’s constitution or regulations and practices.
“What governor Seyi Makinde is calling for is achievable under the party’s Constitution under the party rules and regulations and procedures.
“This constitution must guide whatever changes we make, so that is why we cannot do anything outside that constitution unless it is amended.
“We do not say people should not have different views but all views must go through the party’s constitution, rules regulations and our practices.”
