The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has supported the suspension of the national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu from the party.
Wike made his position on the crisis known on Monday March 27 while granting a television interview.
He said he supported the suspension of the chairman because Ayu contributed to the colossal failure of the party in the 2023 general elections.
The Governor said: “I am in support of the suspension,” Wike replied when asked if he was behind the actions of the PDP officials in Benue State.
“In fact if he (Ayu) had left before now, they would have said he has left and that was why the PDP failed the election,” the governor buttressed his point.
“First of all, if you are a member of the party will you be happy with the way the party is today, it is only in this country that you see someone who has failed woefully and without any conscience would still like to occupy the position.
“In advanced countries like you see and you are the head of the party, I feel like such a colossal failure you do not need anybody to tell you to turn in the towel
“So those in his ward from Benue are hungry, why are they angry before now Ayu ought to have left that office, people were saying we were pushing for Ayu to leave and that we had a hidden agenda to make PDP fail.
“Ayu remained and PDP didn’t win, you lost your unit as National Chairman you lost your ward, as National Chairman you lost your Local government, as National Chairman of the party not only did you take a distant third in the presidential election you also lost in the state gubernatorial election,” Wike explained.
The Benue State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu over alleged anti-party activities.
The Informant247 understands that the national chairman of the main opposition party is from Benue State.
The suspension letter dated March 24, 2023 was signed by 12 executive members of Igyorov ward of Gboko LGA, Benue state.
The letter stated that the national chairman did not work for the success of the party in Igyorov ward in the 2023 general election.
The party also accused the chairman of not casting his vote during the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections.
“We the underlisted are ward executive members of Igyorov ward, Gboko local government,” the letter reads.
“Having reviewed the conduct of the presidential and national assembly elections as well as the governorship and state house of assembly elections held on the February 25 and March 18 2023 respectively, we observed with utmost dismay that Iyorchia Ayu, who is the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), worked against the success of the party in Igyorov council ward.
“It is on record that he has also failed to pay his annual subscription fees as provided under section 8 subsection 9 of the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2017 (as amended).
“Further investigation also revealed that he did not vote during the governorship and state assembly elections held on March 18.
“It was also discovered that most of his closest allies worked for the opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and hence, the abysmal performance of the PDP in Igyorov ward.
“In view of the foregoing, we hereby pass a vote of no confidence on Dr. Iyorchia Ayu and suspend him as a member of our party with immediate effect. The suspension takes effect from March 24, 2023.”
This came days after the national leadership of the party under the chairmanship of Ayu referred the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom to a disciplinary committee over alleged anti-party activities.
The Informant247 recalls that Ortom was one of the G-5 governors who called for the removal of Ayu, in the build up to the February 25 presidential election, because he (Ayu) was from the same region as the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The Governors declared that the removal of Ayu would serve as their precondition to support Atiku.
