New Twist To PDP Crisis As Southern NWC Members Walkout On Ayu

A new twist to the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP emerged on Wednesday after Southern members of the National Working Committee, NWC staged a walkout on the national chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu at a regular meeting of the party’s top operational body.

The development in Abuja came hours after 17 governorship candidates of the PDP appeared to have brokered a peace agreement between Atiku Abubakar and Nyesom Wike in Port-Harcourt, 650 kilometers away on Tuesday night.

It was gathered that the scheduled meeting of the PDP NWC, ran into stormy waters after a move by the national chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu tried to use the NWC as a platform to quash the crisis as some members particularly from the South saw it not as a party crisis but as a personal problem of the national chairman.

GWG reports that the PDP has been in crisis over the call by Governor Wike and some other governors and stakeholders on Ayu to resign following what they claimed as his bias during the PDP convention.

The call has also been fired by the dominance of the North in the top positions of the party with the presidential candidate, national chairman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, and the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum all coming from the North.

GWG gathered that Wednesday’s scheduled meeting of the NWC initially meant to begin at 10.00 a.m did not begin until the early afternoon.

As the meeting commenced with Ayu presiding, he solicited comments from members of the NWC on the happenings in the party.

A source privy to the developments told GWG that members did not spare words in blaming Ayu for the crisis, as some noted that instead of seeking peace that he worsened matters by what some alleged as his provocative reactions to the issues at stake.

“Members, especially those from the South did not hide their feelings on the influence of the national chairman in this crisis,” a source told GWG.

“He has not given the kind of leadership that should have been expected at this time,” the source further disclosed.

Based on the outpouring, it was gathered that Ayu offered to step down for a committee of the whole NWC to be led by the Deputy National Chairman (North) Umar Damagum to lead members to Atiku and Wike separately to mediate in the crisis.

However, it was at that point that the Southern members of the NWC in protest staged a walk-out on Ayu. The Southern members of the NWC were led by Taofeek Arapaja, the deputy national chairman of the party.

With the walkout of the Southern officers on Ayu, PDP NWC meeting, apparently lacking a quorum was brought to an end.

Meanwhile, GWG had earlier reported that the crisis in the party could be about to end following the meeting between 17 governorship candidates and Wike in Port-Harcourt.

However, there were fears in Abuja that the initiative could be derailed as one of the key demands which Wike put forward to the candidates as his irreducible demand was for Ayu to go.

Ayu has, however, poohpoohed that idea saying he was elected for a four-year term.

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