PDP CRISIS: The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, is resisting the pressures from the Governor Wike camp to relinquish his position as the party chairman, Clariform have gathered.

The party Chairman has indicated clearly that he has no plan to resign his position, is statement made by Mr Simon Imobo-Tswana, his Special Adviser on Media and Communication.

Imobo-Tswam made the clarification in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Notable Quote

“We restate, therefore, that the PDP National Chairman has not resigned and has no plan of resigning. For clarity and emphasis, he was elected for a tenure of four years.

“Sections 45 and 47 of the PDP Constitution are clear on the removal and/or resignation of the National Chairman.

“Those who don’t know this should get copies of the party’s Constitution for more information on the matter.

“PDP members and the general public are advised to ignore any story of such a phantom resignation,” he said.

Purported Resignation

According to him, the stories purporting that Ayu has resigned, with his resignation letter in hands of a former Senate President, David Mark, is false, and that members of the public should disregard it.

Imobo-Tswam said that with all emphasis, the story was, in its entirety, false, baseless, reckless, inaccurate and a complete work of fiction.

“If there is such a resignation, it exists only in the imagination of those who have made themselves available for hatchet jobs,” he said.

Imobo-Tswam said that if Ayu had resigned, he would give his resignation letter to the Deputy Chairman (North) and not Mark, adding Section 45 (I and ii) of the party’s Constitution was clear on that.

“So, where does Mark comes in here, being that he is not even a member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

“It appears that those who have been procured to blackmail the national chairman out of office are not even aware of what the party’s Constitution says about the matter.

“We are shocked that such reckless, vicious, mischievous and fabricated falsehood can find prime space in the mainstream media.

“But, even more shocking is the fact that otherwise respected media houses have made themselves easy platforms for unscrupulous people to peddle falsehood and run smear campaigns,” he alleged.

Imobo-Tswam emphasised that the national chairman, “is on a crucial assignment to lead the PDP on a historic rescue mission comes February 2023.

“And, he will not be deterred or distracted by media terrorism or political blackmail.

Takeaway

The crisis engulfing the opposition PDP seem to be gathering storm with this disclosure by the National Chairman of the party, whose resignation from what Clariform has gathered a major precondition for resolving the imbroglio in the party currently.

The Governor WIke camp as we have learnt have lost confidence in Sen Iyorchia Ayu following his management of the national convention of the party that threw up the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the PDP flagbearer.

By swiftly taking this public position even following the rumour that he has tendered his resignation letter, Sen Iyorchia appears to be sending a very clear message that his resignation is not up for negotiation.