………insists Ayu must go
A group loyal to Governor Nyesom Wike has announced that they will not be part of the campaign of presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, for the 2023 elections.
The group, who met all night in the private residence of Wike in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said they will not participate in the campaign unless Iyorcha Ayu resigned as the chairman of the party.
Former Deputy National Chairman of PDP and member of the group,, Bode George made this known after the meeting on Wednesday morning.
Others at the meeting include Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; former Governors Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, Donald Duke of Cross River, Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe and Jonah Jang of Plateau, former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke.
Attendance also include Jerry Gana; South-South Chairman of the PDP, Dan Orbih; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche; Senator Suleiman Nazif, Nnenna Ukeje,.
The decision comes some days to September 28, the official date for candidates to kick-off campaign as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The PDP had constituted its presidential campaign council listing Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal as Director General of the Presidential Campaign Organization while Governor of Akwa Ibom State,Udom Emmanuel is to serve as the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council.
Although the PDP listed Governor Wike and his group as members of the Campaign Council, no lead roles were assigned to them.
Before the campaign council was announced,Wike and his group had called for the resignation of Ayu..
They insisted that with the emergence of Atiku from Adamawa in Northeast Nigeria as the presidential candidate, the position of the national chairman of PDP, now occupied by Ayu from Benue State in the North central Nigeria should be ceded to the South.
But Atiku was defiant and adamant to the call as he told a gathering of party faithful in the South West that Ayu can only be removed from office according to the dictates of the constitution of the PDP.
