Atiku: How Ayu can be removed as PDP national chair

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said it was not impossible to remove the national chairman of the party, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu.

Atiku said the call for the recomposition of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) was not impossible, but only when the constitution of the party has been amended to accommodate such demand.

The former Vice President said this at the PDP South-West stakeholders meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Wednesday.

The Star had earlier reported that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, at the meeting, called for the resignation of Ayu as the PDP chairman.

Makinde, an ally of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said the PDP NWC should be restructured, adding that Ayu must step down for a southerner.

Reacting to the development, Atiku said: “The Peoples Democratic Party is the oldest political party in Nigeria since the return of democracy and even before then. It is a party that has laid down rules and regulations.

READ ALSO: Makinde: Ayu must resign as PDP chair

“I have been a member of the party since when it was formed and I am still a member of the party up to the point of what it has grown to become.

“There is nothing any individual can do to change the outlook of the National Working Committee of the PDP.

“The PDP is a party where there are laid down rules and regulations. What Governor Makinde is asking for is possible only when we have amended our party’s constitution. As things stand today no single individual has the power to tamper with the NWC of the party. Doing so will be illegal and it will be against our rules in the party.

“Nigerians will not trust us to govern by the tenets of rule of law if we take such arbitrary action against our own party,” the PDP presidential candidate stated.

The meeting was attended by the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu; former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose; Osun State Governor-elect, Sen. Demola Adeleke; the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State, Olajide Adediran; his running mate, Funke Akindele.

Others were the PDP vice-presidential candidate and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; former governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke; PDP Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Damagum; and PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Amb. Taofeek Arapaja; among others.

The Star