Just In: Ayu under pressure to resign as PDP National Chairman

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Dr. Iyorchia Ayu is under pressure to quit, following the protracted crisis that has hit the opposition party in Nigeria.

On Sunday, he was suspended by the executive committee of his native Igyorov Ward in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State after a vote of no confidence was passed in him

Also, the PDP Deputy National Chairman, Ambassador Taofik Arapaja, said Ayu should resign to pave the way for the rebuilding of the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike spoke in a smiliar vein like that of the deputy national chairman.

A resolution passed at the end of the Igyorov Ward meeting and read by its Secretary, Mr. Banger Dooyum, accused Ayu of causing PDP to lose the recent general election at the state, local government and ward levels in Benue State.

The resolution reads in part: “He (Ayu) was involved in anti-party activities, making the PDP lose at his ward and local government along with his allies who also didn’t vote at the governorship election.”

The Ward exco also accused him of failing to pay his annual dues as demanded by the PDP constitution.

Ayu’s suspension is coming barely 72 hours after the PDP national leadership announced the suspension of two of its ex-governors —Ayo Fayose (Ekiti) and Ibrahim Shema (Katsina)— for alleged anti-party activities.

Also suspended was a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Pius Anyim.

Prof. Dennis Ityavyar from Benue State and Dr. Aslam Aliyu from Zamfara State were similarly suspended by the Ayu-led National Working Committee (NWC).

Arapaja, in an interview with The Nation, said the embattled National Chairman should quit because he has not only failed to lead the party to victory in the presidential election, he also lost his polling unit, ward, local government and state to another party.

The PDP chieftain said party politics and management are not an academic exercise in which academics are regarded as experts. He explained that under Dr Ayu’s leadership, governors who have a large following and great influence left the party without Ayu showing any concern.

Arapaja insisted that Ayu should honourably tender his resignation to pave the way for the rebuilding of the party.

He said: “Before the election, we told them that there must be justice and equity.

“We said the national chairman should be a Southerner for the purpose of inclusiveness, having produced a presidential candidate of Northern origin. But they refused.

“When it was time to choose the vice presidential candidate, I was a member of the committee. We all agreed on Nyesom Wike.

“But they moved on without Wike and the entire G-5 governors. We had nothing to campaign within the South.