September 16, (THEWILL) – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osun State chapter, has dissociated itself from calls by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State that Dr Iyorchia Ayu should resign as the PDP National Chairman.
THEWILL reported that Makinde, on Wednesday, at the South-West stakeholders’ meeting with the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, in Ibadan, called for the resignation of Ayu, saying it was necessary if the party must move forward.
Makinde had said the call was a collective demand of South-West members of the PDP.
“Eight years of APC has left us sharply divided. The issue is we must practice what we preach. If we want to unify Nigeria, we must unify PDP first. If we want to restructure Nigeria, we must have the willingness to bring inclusivity to PDP. Do we have the capacity? The answer is a resounding yes.
“The message from South West PDP is that the South-West is asking that NWC of PDP should be restructured.
“We are asking the National Chairman to step down so that the South will be fully included. That is the message”, Makinde said.
However, the Osun PDP, in a statement signed by the State Caretaker Chairman of the party, Dr Akindele Adekunle, faulted the Oyo State governor, adding that there was no meeting where the South-West agreed to call for the removal of Ayu.
The statement read, “The leadership of the PDP in Osun State wishes to affirm that we are not part of any revolt against the national leadership of the PDP. We remain guided and loyal to the PDP Constitution which stipulates processes for leadership election and removal. As a party with a democratic tradition, we see no justification for any anti-democratic agitation to torpedo the ship of the party at this very critical stage of national campaigns and pre-election preparation.
“Dr Ayu, who was duly elected at a properly constituted National Convention with a four-year mandate also has the vote of confidence of the party’s National Executive Committee, the party’s highest decision-making organ. Our party Chairman is a principled leader whose integrity is second to none. We consequently disagree with any move to undermine the office of the National Chairman.
“We commend the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for his steadfastness and commitment to upholding the party’s constitution. His response in support of the party’s constitution reassured all that the PDP is a party of law and due process.
“We also use this medium too, on behalf of our teeming members, to apologise to members of the PDP National Working Committee and other leaders over the embarrassment the resignation call may have caused them. The occasion was a solemn one where party loyalists gathered to host our national leaders and demonstrate our preparedness for the task ahead. It was not an avenue for factional rhetoric.
“While reaffirming our passion to mobilise for the PDP’s victory in the forthcoming general election, we restate our resolve to embrace all that is constitutional, unifying, and contributory to the success of the party and its leadership. We stand to be counted all the time as agents of electoral success without tolerance for estranged antics.”
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