The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesome Wike, and his supporters said they will not support the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, presidential campaign until the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, resigns.
This came following a meeting early on Wednesday morning in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Atiku Abubakar is the party’s presidential candidate of the party.
Wike had called for Ayu’s resignation following the outcome of the party’s presidential primary won by Atiku.
Wike supporters who include Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo; Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue; George, Jerry Gana, former minister of information, also insisted that Ayu must resign as a condition for peace in the party.
Reading out the communique after the meeting in Port Harcourt, Bode George, PDP chieftain, said the campaign council list released by the party which has the name of Wike is “putting the cart before the horse”.
“We, therefore, resolve that senator Iyorchia Ayu resigns as the national chairman for an acting chairman of southern Nigeria extraction.
“We resolved not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr Iyorchia Ayu.”
The PDP has been in turmoil since May when Atiku was elected as the standard bearer of the party.<
Wike, whom many thought would be chosen as the party’s vice-presidential candidate, was ignored by Atiku who picked Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, as his running mate.
The Rivers governor’s allies, who include Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo; Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue; George, Jerry Gana, former minister of information, are insisting that Ayu must resign as a condition for peace in the party.
