PDP crisis: Ayu must resign, gov Makinde insists

 

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, says the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has to resign for the crisis rocking the party to abate.

Makinde made this known at the South-West PDP stakeholders meeting with the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The Oyo State Governor, together with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has been at daggers drawn with the PDP hierarchy over the National Chairman of the party and the presidential candidate who are are from the North.

However, in his welcome address, he described Atiku as “the incoming President of Nigeria in 2023.”

Makinde’s description of Atiku elicited a thunderous applause from the PDP stakeholders at the venue of the meeting.

He said Ayu needs to step down for the people of the South to feel a sense of belonging in the party.

He said, “The truth is that we do not have any issue either with our party or our candidate. If there are challenges they must be tabled.

“We are supposed to give hope to our people, we want them to listen to us.

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 resounding yes.

“The message from the South-West PDP is the South-West 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.”