Makinde: Ayu must resign as PDP chair

Governor Seyi Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has called for the resignation of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Iyorchia Ayu.

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

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

He said: “Our party wants to rescue Nigeria and our candidate is a unifier. He wants to restructure Nigeria.

“Eight years of the All Progressives Congress have left us sharply divided. The issue is we must practice what we preach. If we want to unify Nigeria, we must unify the PDP first.

“If we want to restructure Nigeria, we must have the willingness to bring inclusivity to the PDP. Do we have the capacity? The answer is a resounding yes.

“The message from the South-West PDP is that the South-West is asking that the National Working Committee of the PDP should be restructured.

“We are asking the national chairman to step down so that the south will be fully included. That is the message,” Governor Makinde stated.

There have been calls for the resignation of Ayu as the PDP chairman since the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate.

Governor Wike and his associates had demanded the resignation of Ayu as a condition for them to campaign for Atiku ahead of the 2023 general election, saying they should be allowed to choose his successor.

The governor and his loyalists said all top positions in the PDP are being occupied by northerners, noting that Ayu, who is from the North-Central must resign as a concession to the South.

The Star