Despite BoT Chairman’s resignation, Wike insists Ayu must go

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is not sold on the resignation of Senator Walid Jibrin as part of the effort to resolve the lingering crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

BoT Chairman's Resignation: Jibrin earlier on Thursday, September 8, 2022, announced his resignation as the Chairman of the party’s the Board of Trustees (BoT).

It’s believed that the party chieftain decided to step down to satisfy party members, who have condemned the lopsidedness in the party’s leadership positions.

Wike and his loyalists believe the top leadership positions in the party favour the North.

They argued that the party’s presidential candidate, the national chairman, the BoT chairman, and the Governors Forum chairman can not all come from one region.

Wike's Demand: To address this, Wike demanded the resignation of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu as a condition for the resolution of the crisis rocking the party.

But despite the resignation of the BoT chairman to rectify the situation, Wike during the commissioning of the Ahoada Campus of the Rivers State University of Science insisted that Ayu must step down.

Wike Spills the Beans: The governor said following the party’s presidential primary in May, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate of the party visited him in his Abuja residence and told him that Ayu must resign.

Wike said if Atiku denies wanting Ayu out as PDP National Chairman, he would go ahead to say many things.

He said, “When we finished our convention on Saturday the presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar came to see me in my house in Abuja on Monday around 10.30 am.

“He told me I want us to work together and then, he said, ‘Look, Ayu must go.’ I said ‘Why ?’ He said that when a candidate comes from the north, the Chairman will come from the south. And I am saying, implement what you told me. What offence have I committed it has nothing to do with Wike, it has to do with integrity. I challenge the presidential candidate to deny this. If he denies this, I will go further to say so many things to Nigerians because enough is enough.”

What you should know: Wike has been at loggerheads with the leadership of the PDP since he lost the party’s primary Atiku.

You’ll recall that Wike threatened that he would help the party to lose the 2023 presidential election.

Also, during the inauguration of the Okezuo Abia Flyover in Osieome, Aba, Abia State, on Monday, September 5, 2022, the governor boasted that he had the capacity to bring down his enemies.