‘We won’t work for you until Ayu resigns,’ Wike’s group pulls out of Atiku’s campaign

The team loyal to River State Governor Nyesom wike has pulled out of the Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Members of the group are asking for the resignation of PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu over what they tagged imbalance in the party with the presidential candidate and the national chairman coming from the North.

Rising from meeting at the country home of Wike in Obio-Akpor on Wednesday morning, members of the team vowed not to partake in campaign activities for presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar until Ayu resigns as national chairman.

The aggrieved party stalwarts comprising founding members, governors, former ministers and other leaders made their position known in a resolution read by a former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George.

George said: “Senator Iyorchia Ayu must resign as the National Chairman of the party for an acting Chairman of Southern Nigerian extraction to emerge and lead the party on the national campaign.

“Consequently, we resolve not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu”.

Former Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang said: “For a National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu to go and embrace Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tanbuwal, calling him the hero of the convention meant that there was a private arrangement that was done with Tambuwal to shortchange other contestants including Governor Wike.

“Here was a referee, who helped one of his sides to score a goal and then blew the whistle. This is not what we formed the PDP to do for Nigerians. Therefore, we unequivocally ask that Ayu must step down.”

A former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, said if the party intended to restructure Nigeria it should have the courage to restructure itself.

“You cannot build on a faulty foundation. This call for the chairman to step down or resign is not because any of us is aggrieved but because we believe it is important to ensure a just, fair, principled and constitutional structure for the party. If we want to restructure Nigeria, we should have the courage to restructure our party,” Gana said.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said: “We hope that the powers that be listen to the voice of reason and do the needful.”