After Atiku’s meeting with Wike, aggrieved PDP governors plot to remove Ayu

Following the meeting between Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, some governors led by Wike are planning to remove Iyorchia Ayu, the National Chairman of the party.

In a bid to resolve the lingering crisis in the PDP, Atiku had on Thursday, September 29, 2022, met with Wike to settle the conflict between him and the aggrieved PDP governors.

The governors are Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

According to ThePunch, the meeting between Atiku and Wike ended in a deadlock as the governor reportedly insisted that Ayu must resign for peace to reign in the PDP.

Atiku had earlier stated his position on Wike’s demand, saying he had no power to remove the chairman.

He maintained that if Ayu must step down due process must be followed by the party’s constitution.

However, in order to actualise their demand, the aggrieved governors reportedly met in Enugu on Sunday, October 2, 2022, to plot Ayu’s removal.

A member of the PDP National Working Committee disclosed to ThePunch that the governors met solely to strategise on how to make the party and indeed, Nigeria better.

“The big five governors are meeting, strategising for a better PDP, a better Nigeria where probity, equity and justice reign supreme,” the source said.

He added that the governors are “united for a purpose to ensure Ayu is sacked for the unity of our party”.

The source maintained that the aggrieved governors deserved special praise for championing the cause against Ayu.

“A leader on his own said he was going to quit if a northerner emerged as the PDP’s flag bearer. A northerner emerged but he did not want to go. It is a pity that some have chosen to shut up but these ones (governors) are insisting on the right thing to be done; we have to congratulate them.

“PDP is for all. No one, however powerful, owns it more than others. This is the message they are trying to pass. We will get there,” he said.

Confirming the meeting, a member of the aggrieved governor’s camp told the newspaper that the governors met to review the conditions given to Atiku during his meeting with Wike in Abuja on Thursday.

“The meeting in Enugu is to review Atiku’s visit to the Rivers governor in Abuja. They had told him at the meeting that Ayu must go and that the condition is not negotiable. They also gave him some other conditions.

“Atiku agreed that Ayu would go but due process must be followed to avoid a constitutional crisis. So, the aggrieved governors are meeting to fashion out plans for Ayu’s exit and also review some of the conditions they gave to Atiku. They will also look at some of the things Atiku said at the meeting with Wike,’’ the source explained.

But a former National Auditor of the PDP, Raymond Nnaji, has described the governors' move as an extremely dangerous game.

Nnaji said if the aggrieved governors pulled the party down, it would equally affect them individually.