PDP crisis: Ayu defeats Wike, others as party set to announces campaign council

The national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, presided the party’s national caucus meeting last night in Abuja, an indication that the dark cloud hanging over his job might have been lifted, at least for now, ThisDay reports.
Telescope.ng reports that there had been moves for Ayu’s removal of late.
But the embattled PDP chair was seen walking with the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and laughing after the meeting held at Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
A few protesters outside the venue of the caucus meeting carried anti-Ayu placards and chanted, “Ayu must go. There must be justice in PDP.”
Details of the engagement, according to the newspaper, were not known at the time of filing this report.
However, briefing newsmen after the meeting, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said, “We are ready to go. Members of the campaign council will be announced on Thursday (today), after the NEC meeting.”
On why most of the governors were absent at the caucus meeting, Ologunagba said, “Some of them were on holiday, outside the country. They were represented by their deputies.”
The plot to remove Ayu by some southern members of the party had thickened before the caucus meeting, compounding the discontent within the main opposition party.
The intrigues, which continued ahead of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party today, had also factionalised the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP along the north and south divides.
Many of the former presidential aspirants of the party did not turn up for a meeting with Atiku. Though, the former vice president later met with former Minister of Information, Jerry Gana, and Niger State PDP stakeholders.
Nonetheless, the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, yesterday, insisted that no one could stop them from demanding justice in the party.
At the PDP NWC meeting yesterday, where some of the items on the agenda for the NEC and national caucus meetings were prepared, it was learnt that the NWC members from the south moved against Ayu and insisted he must resign.
But Ologunagba quickly debunked the story, and said there was no time during the meeting that Ayu was asked to resign, “It never took place.”
Rather, he said, the NWC resolved to get involved in the resolution of the crisis.
However, THISDAY was reliably informed that at the pre-NEC meeting, held at the national headquarters of the party, the NWC members from the south asked Ayu to resign as they had lost confidence in his leadership.
On Tuesday night, southern members of the NWC, led by Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, held a meeting at his residence, where they insisted that Ayu must be removed.
The same Tuesday, Deputy National Chairman (North) of the party, Umar Damagum, allegedly, met with some members at Wadata Plaza, where they, allegedly, countered the plot to remove Ayu.
The outcome of the two meetings had led to yesterday’s meeting of the northern and southern members of the NWC to finalise their position on Ayu, which would either be a vote of no confidence or a vote of confidence on him.
A PDP governor from the north-east, as Atiku, was alleged to be financing the move to remove Ayu.
But Atiku had yet to show interest in Ayu’s removal, and had been protecting him, a source said, adding that Atiku has developed cold feet on the matter.
The NEC and national caucus meetings had main two agenda. First, was to debate Ayu’s continued stay in office and, second, the ratification of the party’s national campaign council.
The national caucus comprises all PDP governors, all members who are former presidents, former vice presidents, ex-senate presidents, and other presiding officers of the National Assembly, former national chairmen of the party as well as members of the NWC.
It is an important organ of the party, as most decisions reached at the caucus meeting are merely ratified at the NEC meeting, which will hold today.
The national caucus is chaired by the incumbent national chairman of the party. But some governors and stakeholders had objected to Ayu chairing the meeting. In his place, they wanted the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku, the national leader of PDP, to preside.