Ayu can only be removed if PDP constitution is amended

Former Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke; Deputy National Chairman of the PDP (North), Umar Damagum; Chairman, PDP’s Governors’ Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Tambuwal; former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose; Osun State Governor-elect, Demola Adeleke; Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP and governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa; presidential candidate of the PDP and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar; deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State, Funke Akindele; chief host and Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde; governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, national deputy chairman of the PDP (South) Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and the governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State, Olajide Adediran during the South West stakeholders’ interactive session in Ibadan on Wednesday.

Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has expressed his view on the call for the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as the national chairman of the PDP.

Atiku, who led other leaders of the party to Ibadan on Wednesday on an interactive session with stakeholders of the PDP, said that the call for the recomposition of the National Working Committee was not impossible, but only when the constitution of the party has been amended to accommodate such demand.

According to him, “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.

“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.”

In his response to the call by some governors of the party calling for the ouster of Ayu as national chairman, which was also reaffirmed by the chief host of the event and governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, Atiku said: “There is nothing any individual can do to change the outlook of the National Working Committee of the PDP.

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“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 Southwest stakeholders’ interactive session was attended by leaders of the PDP across the six states of the geopolitical zone with a common resolution to ensure victory for the PDP in next year’s general election. The PDP leaders who attended the interactive session included the chief host and Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde; governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun State, Chief Ladi Adebutu, former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose; Osun State Governor-elect, Demola Adeleke; the governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State, Olajide Adediran and deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State, Funke Akindele.

Others are the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP and governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa; Chairman, PDP’s Governors’ Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Tambuwal; former Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke; Deputy National Chairman of the PDP (North), Umar Damagum and national deputy chairman of the PDP (South) Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, among other stakeholders from the Southwest.