JUST IN: Iyorchia #Ayu Bombs G5 Governors, Rejects #Wike As PDP Crisis Lingers—Ahead of the 2023 general election, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Iyorchia Ayu, has made moves against the five aggrieved PDP governors who want him out.
This online news platform reports that Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Seyi Makinde (Enugu) have not hidden their desire for the resignation or removal of Ayu.
The governors, known as the G5, have accused the PDP Chairman of partiality and corruption, asking him to step aside for a Southerner.
According to The Nation, Ayu has launched an offensive against the governors, shredding the lists of polls agents compiled by the governors and forwarded to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja for onward submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While the electoral act empowers political parties to be represented at each of the polling booths and collation centres, the PDP National Chairman reportedly do not want the party’s destiny to be entrusted into the hands of those nominated by the dissenting governors.
A source reveal that Ayu and his team have subjected the lists of prospective agents from the G-5 and a few other states to scrutiny.
“Well, I don’t understand what you are trying to drive at but I must tell you that it is the responsibility of the National Secretariat to forward the lists of party agents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the election,” the source said.
“The state chapters can assist in the compilation of such list for their states but the decision of who does what as party agents lies with the National Chairman. Don’t forget the presidential candidate too may have his own preferred people in the states. The election is his own, and he should have the prerogative to choose those who will represent him as agents at the poll.
“Moreover, there is no way we will have the state leadership of the PDP campaign committee in place and some other people will be the ones compiling lists of agents. The arrangement is that the campaign committee oversees all elections for the party. So, it is not out of place for the party to insist that all stakeholders should liaise with the PCC in their state in compiling the list of party agents.
“If that is what you mean by Ayu rejecting some lists, you need to understand that it is the normal procedure to avoid duplication of the lists in question.”
Another source disclosed that some nominees by governors have been rejected by the party’s leadership, adding that most of those rejected are government employees, which is against provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
Sources also said Ayu asked PDP state leaderships to work with the leadership of the campaign committees in their state for the final list of party agents.
A PDP chairman in one of the South South states told The Nation: “He (Ayu) made it clear it is the lists from the campaign committee that will be profiled and sent to INEC by the NWC. The decision is unusual as it has always been the state executives that compile and send agents’ lists to Abuja. We see this as an attempt to undermine the leadership of the party in our state and we understand where it is all coming from.”
