Iyorchia Ayu, the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has stated he will not step down from his position since he sees no justification for doing so.
Mr. Ayu made this known in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday.
The PDP Chairman has come under pressure from a group of current governors and past governors led by Rivers governor Nyesom Wike to resign and give room for a southerner to fill the position.
The governors had been protesting about the imbalance in the party’s leadership, where Mr. Ayu, Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate, and the leaders of its key organizations are all from the North.
Mr. Ayu has also been further charged with being a biased and polarizing leader.
However, in response to the demand, on Wednesday the PDP leader claimed that those clamoring for his resignation are young men in the party who are ignorant of the party’s founding principles.
Recall that Clariform reported that Gov. Wike held a meeting with Atiku’s camp in London last Thursday over the crisis in the main opposition party.
The meeting took place over dinner at the Park Lane Carlton Hotel, London. Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State were present from Mr. Wike’s side at the meeting.
Atiku was accompanied by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri. According to sources at the meeting, the Wike camp told Atiku that it would only bargain with him for his support if Mr. Ayu resigned and was replaced with a candidate from the country’s south.
One of the governors, speaking on behalf of the group, said the requirement was to ensure that the party fixed the leadership imbalance before the elections started and that it was consistent with a promise made by Mr. Ayu before he was chosen by party members at the national convention last year.
Wike has accused Mr. Ayu of dividing the PDP contrary to Atiku’s claim that Mr. Ayu is the PDP’s unifier, according to Wike, the former Senate President is the most polarizing person to have held the position of party leader.
