The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 said its National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has not been suspended from office.
Recall that the immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Diran Odeyemi, had called on the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to immediately resign as the national chairman of the PDP.
Odeyemi in a statement issued recently said that following the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential candidate, Ayu had no moral right to retain his position as chairman.
According to him, “Senator Ayu, as a matter of urgency and if indeed he wants PDP to win the presidential election, should resign and give opportunity to the emergence of a Southern Chairman as a way of maintaining the national balance and a sense of belonging by all.”
But the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed via a statement amid a social media report that Ayu has been suspended by the NWC.
“Such report is completely false and a product of the imagination of mischief-makers with the intent to destabilize our Party, create an impression of crisis within our ranks, and mislead the unsuspecting members of the public,” the statement read in part.
“It is clear that the false report is the handiwork of vicious anti-people forces who are agitated by the stability, unity, and soaring popularity of our Party under the cohesive Sen. Dr. Ayu-led National Working Committee as well as the intimidating statures of our Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar and His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa respectively.”
While noting that Ayu is on a short vacation outside of the country, the PDP spokesman noted that he officially transmitted power to the Deputy National Chairman (North), Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum, in line with the provision of the Constitution of the PDP 2017 (as amended).
According to Ologunagba, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was informed of the development within the main opposition party.
He insisted that both the PDP and the NWC are united, adding that Senator Ayu remains the National Chairman.
This is even as he called on all PDP members, the media, and the general public to disregard the said report, describing it as fake news.
