Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports.
Yesterday, a group of protesters stormed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat, calling on the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to resign as party leader.
The PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) met to discuss the schism between the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
Members of the PDP BoT believed to be loyal to Wike, on the other hand, stayed away from the meeting.
Concerned Deltans for Good Governance stormed the PDP Wadata office in protest of Delta State’s lingering crisis.
The group, led by Chris Anthony, stated, “We expect the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the supervision of Ayu to comply with the judgment that was passed by Justice Taiwo Taiwo on the 7th.”
“They are tampering with the judgment. Based on the court order, the party is supposed to forward the name of the election winner to INEC, but they have purposefully refused to do so because they are working in collusion with Delta State governor, Okowa, as an individual.
“They have refused to obey the court’s order.” Strangely, INEC officially wrote to the PDP through their legal adviser that they had received a judgement of this nature and that they (INEC) will do the necessary by complying and that they expect the PDP to do the same, but the PDP has deliberately decided to disregard what the court said up to this point.
“We are all screaming, ‘We want to lead Nigeria,’ but how can you expect to address the Nigerian problem if you can’t organize your own house properly?” If you can’t even address a minor issue in Delta, how can Nigerians trust the PDP to address the larger issues confronting the country?
“We are calling on the PDP leadership to do the necessary: obey the court order, recognize David… as the PDP’s governorship candidate, as the court has declared.”
“The implication of the PDP’s action on the Delta issue is that they are attempting to destroy the PDP’s fortunes in Delta.” Everyone knows that the PDP is the majority party in Delta State, and there is no other political party in Delta State.
“However, with the actions of the party’s national chairman, we are beginning to believe what people have been saying that Ayu is a mole in the PDP trying to throw Delta State PDP to the opposition.” We believe Ayu is a PDP mole. He is following the APC script in order to see the emergence of an APC governor in Delta.
‘He lacks the ability to lead the PDP and should resign honorably.’ He has demonstrated gross incompetence in handling the party’s affairs. He should step down. Ayu should step down. “He lacks the ability to manage the affairs of the PDP,” he stated.
The PDP BoT meeting, however, presided over by the chairman, Senator Walid Jubrin, and which began at 11 a.m., lasted until about 2.30 p.m.
Following the meeting, the BoT directed Bauchi state Senator Abdul Ningi to brief the media.
“The BoT, which is the soul of the party, resolved to set up a committee of the entire BoT to resolve whatever crisis arose from the presidential nomination convention,” he said.
According to sources, the meeting decided that the entire Board of Trustees should go to Atiku’s house to hear his side of the story and then decide when and where to meet Wike.
Former Minister of Information Jerry Gana, Senator Zanabe Kure, and Wike were among the PDP BoT members who did not attend yesterday’s meeting.
They were BoT members believed to be loyal to Wike who attended Wike’s last Sunday meeting at the Rivers State office in Abuja.
