The camp of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, in the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has proposed the appointment of Taofeek Arapaja as acting national chairman of the party.

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported on Friday that the group, at a meeting it held on Thursday in London with the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, demanded the resignation of the national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, as its condition for sitting down to negotiate with Atiku for the support of the group in the coming presidential election.

Members of the group who attended the meeting held over dinner at the Carlton Hotel in Park Lane, London include Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue, Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia as well as former governors Donald Duke of Cross Rivers, Segun Mimiko of Ondo and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe.

The group gave two main reasons for its demand for Mr Ayu’s resignation. The first is to correct the imbalance in the leadership of the party in which all the top national positions in the PDP are being held by members from the northern zones of the country.

It said Mr Ayu himself had foreseen such imbalance before he was elected by consensus last year and had pledged to step down should the party also nominate a northerner as presidential candidate.

The second reason the group cited was the alleged divisiveness of Mr Ayu, saying his leadership style has worsened crises in the party.

The Wike group believes that Atiku can prevail on Mr Ayu to step down because they are allies and that the national chairman had clandestinely supported Atiku in the party primaries.

At the meeting, Atiku had pointed out to the group that Mr Ayu’s resignation would not correct the imbalance in the leadership, as the Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Damagum, would be required to fill the vacancy such a step would create, in line with the provisions of the the constitution of the party.

The constitution of the party prescribes that the deputy national chairman from the home region of the national chairman would act in the absence of the national chairman or take the office if it becomes vacant before the end of their tenure.

But the Wike group said the that constitutional obstacle could be circumvented by both Mr Ayu and Mr Damagum resigning to give Mr Arapaja a clear path to the seat.

Mr Arapaja is a former deputy governor of Oyo State and assistant national chairman of the party for the South West until his election to his current position. He is an ally of Governor Makinde, one of the governors in the Wike camp.

It should be noted that the South West zone has never produced the national chairman of the PDP.

The Wike group also noted that a precedent for its proposal had been created in 2010 when Haliru Mohammed, who was then the deputy national chairman (North), took over as acting national chairman after Okwesileze Nwodo from Enugu State in the South East zone was forced to step down after Goodluck Jonathan became president, following the death of President Umar Yar’adua.

The group proposed that Mr Arapaja should take the office on an interim basis until after the general elections when the party could then decide on a substantive national chairman.

Unzerious:
This is a Big Blow to the Camps of Tinubu and Obi.

Wasted Flight Tickets

OkoRemi2023:
you can see Atiku making excuses already for Ayu, Atiku Nepotism will be worse than Buhari




Even if Atiku agreed on Arapaja emerging as interim if he should win ehn, arapaga won't survive a year tenure before they go displace him and Atiku agreeing to do only one term is laughable, Northerners that love power than good Governance



same Northerner that just finished ruling 8yrs and want to rule again, if not for Tinubu outburst in Ogun state they want to play the Northern card again in APC by foisting Lawan on him



Northerners have no shame, with all the insecurities happening in North, you need a non Northerner to address it, the power you get for 8yrs put Nigeria in dark horse yet you still want it, despite Obj 8yrs govt has corruption, he achieved far better



trying to play tribal card we decentralized Nigeria if not eliminate it, you people can't survive southern Nigeria unity, that's fact

Nwabueze22:
Free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and give us Biafra nothing more nothing else

Peacemaker5129:
So nothing for Okoros again? When is this marginalization going to stop?

Elidrisy20:
Na this mentality carry ojukwu go war,wea him come run

OkoRemi2023:



because he fought the battle alone, North can't survive southern Nigeria unity



we've resources to gain international support than North, you guys should be guided




you can't finish ruling for 8yrs and want the power again, it sound dumb and irrational

Announced3:



Bro you really speak an interesting fact.. TINUBU outburst is one thing I still respect the man... No matter the elections results next year

OkoRemi2023:



because he fought the battle alone, North can't survive southern Nigeria unity



we've resources to gain international support than North, you guys should be guided




you can't finish ruling for 8yrs and want the power again, it sound dumb and irrational