The five governors opposed to Senator Iyorchia Ayu’s continued stay as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party will on Sunday (today) converge on Lagos for a strategic meeting.
A former National Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, disclosed this in an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday. He said the meeting would avail the group the opportunity to review recent developments in the party before taking its next step.
Although the agenda of the meeting was not clear as at press time, our correspondent gathered that the group will discuss its stand on the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. The National Executive Committee of the party had in September passed a vote of confidence on Ayu and other members of the National Working Committee.
Wike, who became aggrieved over the outcome of the party’s presidential primary in May, 2022, where he emerged as the first runner up to Atiku, has had four other governors on his side. The four governors are Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
The governors have held a series of meetings and insisted that Ayu must go. They have been at loggerheads with Atiku whom they believe had not done enough to compel Ayu to quit his post to pave way for a southerner to succeed him, even though some party members said only a northerner could succeed Ayu if he leaves, based on the party’s constitution.
The five governors in September resigned their membership of the PDP Presidential Council. The council has since moved on with campaign activities, with its spokespersons insisting that the PCC was too focused to be distracted.
However, George said, “We are meeting in Lagos on Sunday. The G5 and all of us pressing for the right thing to be done in the PDP will be on ground. I don’t want to say more but the truth is that the PDP needs to put its house in order. Putting the house in order must start from obeying and believing in our constitution. The country is made up of the North and South.