Politics
PDP NEC divided over call for Ayu’s removal
Ahead of the meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party National Executive Committee scheduled for Thursday in Abuja, the NEC members are divided over the clamour for the removal of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu.
While some NEC members from the South argued that Ayu’s removal was the only way out of the lingering crisis confronting the party, the chairman’s supporters said Ayu would not step aside at this critical time when the PDP was preparing for election.
The opposition party had been engulfed in a crisis since a former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar emerged the presidential candidate.
The loyalists of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike had been demanding Ayu’s resignation, stating that the presidential candidate should not hail from the same region as the party chairman; and the Board of Trustees chairman.
Though the PDP set up a panel to resolve the crisis, Wike, supported by three other governors, had continued to insist on Ayu’s removal.
Resisting the pressure to leave office, the party chair vowed to stay till the end of his four-year tenure. He also dismissed those demanding his removal as youngsters who had little knowledge about the formation of the PDP.
Reinforcing their demand in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Oyo State, Mr Akeem Olatunji, stressed that Ayu’s removal would facilitate Atiku’s electoral victory.
READ ALSO:
- Ooni marries new wife months after Naomi’s exit
- NDLEA seizes 249 exotic cars, freezes 600 bank accounts
- Trump had top secret papers about foreign nation’s nuclear defences at Mar-a-Lago, report says
While explaining that the state chapter of the party had nothing against Atiku and Ayu, Olatunji said their demand was borne out of their desire to see the party emerge victorious at the poll.
He said, “We are passionate about Alhaji Abubakar Atiku winning this presidential election and that is why we are calling for Senator Iyorchia Ayu to step aside and allow somebody from the South to take over.
“We don’t want Alhaji Atiku to just be a presidential candidate, we want him to transform from a candidate to the President-elect of this country by February 2023.
“We believe that part of what can make our job easier is for the national chairmanship of the PDP to come from the South. We don’t want our opponents to use that to campaign against us.
“It’s not that we have anything against Atiku or Senator Ayu, we are not their enemies; we want the party to win. It is better we sort this out now and that is what we are saying. We want the national chairmanship of the PDP to come to the South for balance.”
Rivers PDP
On his part, the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawor called for the resignation of the national chairman, stressing that the party leadership and the presidential candidate cannot come from the same region.
He said, ‘’That is the commitment he (Ayu) made before we elected the presidential candidate, so he has to fulfill his commitment. He must resign; he should fulfill his commitment. We can’t have the BoT chairman from the north, deputy national chairman and presidential candidate all from the north. Other regions will feel relegated.
“How do we campaign for the people? The election is based on interest, how do we preach to them? Should we tell them when the presidential candidate wins things will normalize? Is that what we are going to preach to the people?’’
Akawor further stated that the power blocs were only seeking equity, justice and fair play, therefore, their quest should be regarded.
He noted, ‘’We don’t have different power blocs; they are people who are requesting equity and fairness, which is the fulcrum of the party. How are we protected as a zone; how is our interest protected? That is what we are asking for? So, when these questions are answered, I don’t think we’ll have a power bloc; PDP is one party.’’
But the Osun PDP acting chairman, Dr Akindele Adekunle, said Ayu should not be made to resign, at least not now that the party was preparing for a general election.
Adekunle said, “There is no point asking Dr Ayu to resign a few months before the presidential election. My take is to allow the status quo to remain and make changes after the 2023 elections.”
The Ebonyi State Chairman of the PDP, Okoroafor Okorie was of the view that the right thing was ‘’for somebody to make a sacrifice by stepping down from his position which provides a balance in the leadership of the party.’’
He noted, “The truth is nobody was born with any position. It is easier to say let’s balance the polity allowing the chairmanship to come from somewhere. If that is the sacrifice that someone has to make in the overall interest of the party, it is a sacrifice worth making.
‘’For me, PDP is the only party that has a structure with a national outlook; forget that APC is occupying the presidency today. If you do not want to bury that national outlook, perception, or narrative and change the paradigm that the PDP is always making, I think it is a sacrifice worth making that somebody should step down.’’
Ortom’s aide
However, the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, speaking through his Director of Press, Nathaniel Nkurr, noted that the crisis was best resolved at a roundtable in addition to placating the Rivers State governor.
READ ALSO:
- 31% of Nigerians still can’t read, write ― FG
- I pay N50,000 for each child — Reverend Sister caught with 15 children
- Russia buying ‘millions of rockets and artillery’ from N. Korea for Ukraine war – US
“The position of the governor is that the party leadership will sit down and resolve the crisis in the party, calling for the pacification of the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike,’’ he explained, adding that “all the blocs must agree to work together as a party; the leadership should sit down and resolve the crisis.’’
Chairman of the Lagos State PDP, Julius Akinsola maintained that an inclusive approach was needed to address the issues.
“We are in a democratic system; I think it has to be an inclusive decision so the national working committee, the NEC, the BoT, the three arms of the party have to resolve that kind of situation.
“I presumed they will take into consideration all the necessary parameters for choosing offices. If they find some imbalance; that is why they are there. But as individuals, we have to work within a democratic system,’’ Akinsola stated.
Reacting to the calls for a change of the party leadership, the Yobe State Chairman of the PDP, Sen. El-Gash Umar, insisted that the chairman cannot step down because he was elected for a four-year tenure.
He counseled those clamouring for Ayu’s removal to wait until the presidential candidate of the party wins, adding that he may step down then through persuasions.
Umar added, “He was elected for a four-year tenure, he has not committed any crime as a party chairman, and he was not indicted for anti-party (activity) or anything. He was being asked to resign because the presidential candidate is from the north. What if he (Atiku) doesn’t win; will the chairman be reinstated? That is what we are saying.’’
PUNCH
Politics
No Office of the First Lady Under My Presidency, Vows Omoyele Sowore
No Office of the First Lady Under My Presidency, Vows Omoyele Sowore
The AAC candidate pledges to slash governance costs by ₦4 trillion, abolish gubernatorial security votes, and end unconstitutional spending.
African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has pledged to eliminate the Office of the First Lady if he wins the 2027 presidential election, describing the ceremonial post as an unconstitutional drain on national resources. Sowore emphasized that Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution provides no legal standing or budgetary allocation for the spouse of the head of state.
Consequently, Sowore clarified that while entering the State House will not alter his marriage, his administration will refuse to assign official duties, staff, or public funds to his spouse.
Instead, he promised to champion women’s voices across all levels of government by appointing qualified female leaders to legitimate, constitutional offices rather than maintaining a ceremonial platform.
He condemned the continued allocation of taxpayer revenue to unofficial positions, arguing that such expenditures divert critical capital from infrastructure and social welfare.
Furthermore, the AAC candidate outlined a comprehensive austerity framework intended to slash the cost of governance by approximately ₦4 trillion. Central to this strategy, Sowore vowed to initiate constitutional amendments to outlaw discretionary security votes for state governors, a long-debated pool of funds historically shielded from public accounting.
Ultimately, he insisted that transferring these discretionary funds directly into state treasuries will help governments pay public sector wages consistently and fund vital public services.
No Office of the First Lady Under My Presidency, Vows Omoyele Sowore
Politics
Otti: I Won’t Become Political Godfather After Leaving Office
Otti: I Won’t Become Political Godfather After Leaving Office
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said he will not become a political godfather or impose a successor on the state after completing his second term in 2031.
Otti spoke in Umuahia on Thursday while receiving former Social Democratic Party governorship candidate Ngozi Johnson-Chukwunenye and her supporters into the Labour Party.
The governor said he would prefer a successor to emerge based on merit and competence rather than what he described as a “sit-tight” approach to political leadership.
“I don’t want to be a godfather, and I don’t tolerate godfathers” Otti said, adding that political stakeholders should consider those capable of doing the job before supporting a candidate.
He also reiterated that he does not plan to seek another elective position after his second term, saying younger people should be given opportunities to take up leadership roles.
Otti Highlights Youth Leadership Programme
The governor said his administration was already preparing young people for future leadership through initiatives such as the Abia Leadership Academy.
According to him, more than 1,080 people aged between 16 and 25 had recently graduated from the academy.
Otti said the programme was intended to help prepare a new generation of leaders rather than encourage prolonged political control by individuals.
Meanwhile, he said his administration would continue extending its development projects beyond Aba and Umuahia into other parts of the state.
He said the government initially focused on the two major cities before moving into the hinterland with additional projects.
Otti: I Won’t Become Political Godfather After Leaving Office
Politics
2027: Tinubu May Mediate Wike-APC Governors Rift In France
2027: Tinubu May Mediate Wike-APC Governors Rift In France
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may intervene in the growing disagreement between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A senior presidential aide was quoted as saying that Tinubu could meet the concerned political actors while in France, where the President is currently on vacation. The aide said the intervention was likely to take place abroad before the end of the week.
The reported meeting has not been officially confirmed, and no formal truce has been announced between Wike and the APC governors.
The disagreement centres on Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, which he has been promoting in support of Tinubu’s re-election while maintaining that the platform is separate from the APC.
Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while serving as FCT minister, has said his support for Tinubu does not prevent the PDP from fielding candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
Through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike said he would mobilise support for Tinubu at the presidential level but had never promised that the PDP would withdraw from other electoral contests.
He has also maintained that he never approached the APC governors to join the Rainbow Coalition and that President Tinubu is aware of his political activities.
READ ALSO:
- 2027: Sowore Says He’d Rather Die Than Travel Abroad For Medical Treatment
- Toyin Abraham Rejects Lagos APC Campaign Council Inclusion
- FG Suspends Niger NSCDC Commandant As 37 Suspected Illegal Miners Die In Custody
Wike has cited the 2023 elections in states such as Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi to argue that voters can support different parties in presidential and state or legislative elections held on the same day.
The position has drawn opposition from the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).
Its Chairman and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, said after a meeting of APC governors in Abuja that they would not support political arrangements capable of undermining the APC, Tinubu’s re-election or the party’s candidates.
APC leaders in the South-East have also rejected Wike’s Rainbow Coalition and criticised his comments about the Progressive Governors, urging party members to maintain support for APC candidates across the ballot.
The disagreement has attracted differing reactions within the ruling party.
Ima Niboro, a spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, described the situation as a disagreement among political actors who broadly support Tinubu’s re-election but differ over how that support should operate alongside other electoral contests.
Niboro urged Wike and the APC governors to end the public exchanges and concentrate on grassroots mobilisation.
Other APC figures have also taken different positions. Former House Minority Leader Farouk Adamu-Aliyu warned against any attempt to weaken the APC, while Kano politician Abdulmumin Jibrin urged APC governors not to embarrass Wike, arguing that the FCT minister remains relevant to Tinubu’s re-election effort.
The issue has consequently become a matter of political coordination within the wider camp backing Tinubu for 2027.
For Wike, supporting Tinubu at the presidential level can coexist with the PDP contesting other elections. The APC governors have instead stressed the need to protect the party’s candidates and structures.
The reported France intervention is therefore being viewed as a possible effort by Tinubu to manage the competing interests before they affect broader preparations for the 2027 elections.
However, the available report does not establish that a specific peace meeting between Tinubu, Wike and the APC governors has been scheduled in France. It only indicates that the President could intervene while abroad.
The outcome of any such intervention remains uncertain, while Wike continues to support Tinubu’s re-election and the APC governors maintain their position on party candidates.
2027: Tinubu May Mediate Wike-APC Governors Rift In France
-
International2 days agoIslamic Council Condemns Attempted Attack on Holy City of Mecca
-
metro3 days agoLagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan
-
News2 days agoKeep Politics Out of My Office — Ogbomoso Grand Chief Imam Warns Politicians, Bloggers
-
metro2 days agoNiger Mosque Abductions: Terrorists Execute 30 of 500 Captive Muslim Worshippers
-
Entertainment2 days agoBREAKING: Olu Jacobs Dies at 84, Atiku Mourns Cultural Icon
-
International3 days agoUS Court Blocks Trump Visa Rule Limiting Stay of Foreign Students, Journalists
-
metro3 days agoA Son Wouldn’t Have Done Better — Dangote Speaks on Daughters, Succession
-
metro3 days agoFatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down