It was shocking and disappointing for the presidential candidate of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Atiku Abubakar in Ibadan, Oyo State yesterday as critical stakeholders in the party in the southwest geopolitical zone unanimously insisted on the resignation of the chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are yet to back down on the agitation for the resignation of the party’s national chairman
The leaders resolved to back Atiku and his running mate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa in the 2023 presidential election, made their demand at the southwest PDP stakeholders’ interactive session.
Both Atiku and Okowa were at the meeting.
The governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, who hosted the session, stated that Ayu must step down for a southerner to emerge as national chairman, since Atiku, a northerner, is the party’s presidential flag bearer.
He said the southwest stakeholders are aware of Atiku’s capability to clean up the mess the All Progressives Congress (APC) has created in the economy and in the polity since it came into office in 2015.
Spokesman for the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted Makinde as describing Atiku as a unifier.
It added that the governor was confident the party’s presidential candidate had the capacity to reposition the country.
However, the statement said Makinde believe Atiku needs to first support the restructuring of the party and uniting its members before the elections.
“I want to thank everyone for coming for this meeting and, I think, at this point, we have to tell ourselves nothing but the truth. What we will do here is to speak the truth to ourselves. Yes, others have spoken here about the positive side of things, but we do have challenges and issues to address in our party.
“But one good thing is we have the capacity to address those issues. Of course, I have seen people abuse me on social media, saying this issue is about Wike, Makinde, Ortom and Ugwuanyi, but the truth is, we don’t have any issue either with our party or our presidential candidate.
“If there are challenges, we must bring them on the table so that we can address them to ensure that our journey is smooth and we can get to our destination. So, this is not about individuals.
“I see some people talk about what cropped up during and after the presidential convention, when somebody was selected as vice presidential candidate.
“Truth is those are issues that are behind us. They have happened and they have happened, but this is where we are. Are there issues coming out of those that we really need to address so we can be successful at the end of the day? The answer is, yes, and we will address them. Integrity and honour must be a part of our national psyche.
“We have spoken about the movement, the youth, and we have spoken about what they are looking for. Our people are in a state of hopelessness, which the APC brought upon us and it is the reality. But we are supposed to give hope to our people. We want them to listen to us, to hear our message to them. For us to be able to do that, we must lay a good example.
“We say we want to rescue Nigeria. Our candidate is a unifier and he will unify Nigeria. We want to restructure Nigeria. I have listened to our candidate, both publicly and privately, and we have had several interactions. Our party is talking about a government of national unity, because close to eight years of APC has left us badly divided. Well, the issue is, we must practise what we preach.
“If we want to unify Nigeria, we must unify the PDP first. If we want a government of national unity, the faces in the PDP must reflect national unity. If we want to restructure Nigeria, we must have the willingness to do what is right to bring inclusivity into PDP. Do we have the capacity? Do we have a candidate with the capacity? The answer is a resounding yes.”
Responding, Atiku said Ayu’s resignation must be done in accordance with the party’s constitution, rules, regulations and practice.
He said what Makinde “is calling for is achievable our constitution, rules, regulations and procedures.”
“The most important event facing us today is the election of 2023 and how to win. From what I have seen in Lagos and Ibadan, I can tell you that we can win the election if we want to and it is possible for us to take over all the south-western states.
“More so, the new Electoral Act has improved our electoral processes and has made it difficult for people to write results. They cannot do it anymore and they cannot rig. If they send thugs to snatch ballot boxes, they will not be counted. So, the era is over. The most important thing for you is to make sure you are registered to vote and protect your vote.
“PDP is the oldest political party in Nigeria and since the return of democracy. Over time, the PDP has developed its own constitution, electoral processes, zoning of offices, power sharing and others, which will bring about the unity of the party and that of the country.
“I have no problem with wherever any of the members of the party comes from but it must be done in accordance with our constitution, regulations and practices.
“Therefore, what Governor Makinde is calling for is achievable under our constitution, rules, regulations and procedures. So, those institutions must serve as guides to whatever changes we make. That is why we cannot do anything outside the constitution, unless it is amended to reflect what we want them to be.
“Of course, we don’t say people should not have different views, but all views must go through our constitution, rules and practices. Otherwise, we cannot give this country the kind of leadership they want. So, it is time for us to return the PDP back to power,” he said.
Others who spoke at the meeting were Okowa; chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal; Osun State governor-elect, Mr. Ademola Adeleke; former governor of Osun State, Mr. Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Mrs. Biodun Olujinmi.
