Associates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, under the aegis of Atiku People United (APU), have strongly condemned the way agitation for the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Dr Iyorcha Ayu, and rezoning of the PDP’s is being pursued by some chieftains led by Rivers State governor, Mr Nyesom Wike.
APU expressed this concern in a communiqué signed by Chief Dapo Sarumi, founding National Vice Chairman of PDP, South West; Hon. Rahman Owokoniran, PDP South West Secretary, Pastor Kayode Jacobs, and others, copies of which were made available to newsmen in Lagos on Friday.
It stated that the negative signals being sent and perception created by the actions of the governor and his group have now become” personal and very destructive.”
The group, an independent campaign movement for Atiku’s presidential aspiration, while noting that the way and manner the agitation was being pursued was disturbing, said mouthing statements and insinuations that could demarket and destroy the main opposition PDP and or its candidate should be a no-go area and should be viewed with every seriousness as, according to it, “you can’t damage a foundation and still go ahead to build on it.”
Besides, APU further described the “current do or die agitation” in the party as unfortunately, which it said came about due to the inability of the party leadership to reflect on the benefit of hindsight, observing sadly that leaders who had done great for PDP unconsciously were ready to kill it and their own ambition exactly as it happened way back in 2015.
This was just as it further observed sadly that almost all those at the centre of the bitter bickering were election ticket holders or “godfathers” to party ticket holders, recalling that it was the same failure of deep reflection that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State had used to keep PDP out of power for 23 years.
APU said the occurrences should be very instructive, urging all PDP leaders in the combat zone “to take it to heart, not forgetting that the same destructive tendencies were used to push PDP out of power using ‘New PDP,’ an action that was later regretted to be a dinner with the devil,” adding: “Why must history repeat itself?”
The group, while noting that the aggrieved party leaders led by Governor Wike may be right, quickly observed that the timing was completely wrong and politically unwise, declaring that except they had decided to concede 2023 to APC, “Ayu’s removal or resignation may shock the system, create fresh troubles that may be more destructive and take controls out of our hands.”
“As a matter of fact, when has the office of National chairman become so important in government and governance to any region to make us ready to throw away the Presidency?
“We have no doubts these must be why our presidential candidate, a master of the game himself, has chosen the stand he has taken and not because of lack of respect for Governor Wike and his team,” the group posited.
It, therefore, urged the aggrieved leaders to be willing to make sacrifices by sheathing their swords until after the election when the party leader must have emerged and power of persuasion becomes stronger and assuring, even as the group noted that Atiku right now “is only a candidate and not yet party leader officially.”
“We sympathize and agree totally with our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that we cannot resort to impunity in removing the national chairman and that this can only be achieved through personal conviction, which in our opinion is achievable through political persuasions instead of equipping the opposition with campaign materials.
“We call on all concerned to remember that the PDP had apologized to Nigerians that it would never engage in impunity anymore and that the rule of law will always prevail. We believe this is the stand and statement of our candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
“And this is what Nigerians need in any leader that must take the country out of the woods where we have found ourselves. A leader who listens, negotiates, openly bares his mind and does not just pander to opinions because they are loud but looks at the long-term implication with deep insights and contributions by experts.
“We call to memory the bitter struggle of the then ‘NEW PDP’ and the eventual regret by all. We, therefore, passionately plead for caution and rethink as this self-celebrated crack is heartbreaking, morale killing and hope to dim to many members and other Nigerians who look up to PDP for National Rescue from the hegemony of this notorious All Pretenders Congress (APC) who have through their government made life unbearable for everyone and taken Nigeria to the lowest on every facet of life and living.
“And for thought by all, the Senate President and other top influential positions that can be negotiated to the South are government positions that are equally good for the zone. as National Chairman which does not negate the fact that the National Chairman must be zoned to the President’s alternative zone.
“We urge the ‘Star Boy’ of the Southwest, our own amiable Governor and star performer and reformer, Governor Oluwaseyi Makinde, the only first-term governor in their team, to please plead with his colleagues to sheath their swords in the interest of peace and progress. We say this because we cannot afford to send wrong signals to our people and get them confused when the election comes. He has done a lot and still has a lot to do for us not just in Oyo State but the entire Southwest and the nation at large.
“It is in an effort to sustain the zonal arrangement that the party recently amended the constitution that the first chairman must come from the same zone as the chairman, otherwise, the exit of Ayu would have been seamless. This is not the making of Atiku, it was the collective decision of the national convention.
“While we agree completely that equity demands sharing between North and South, we must remember that the election is just a few months away and any dislocation or distortions from the party’s command headquarters will spell doom for the entire party and Nigerians may be left hopeless. God forbids!
“As stated earlier, changes can always be made soon after the presidential election to achieve the balance being sought.
“There is no superior argument yet on why Ayu must go now and not after the general election.
“All hands must be on deck to work for the party and chase out the common enemies of our Nation. Please let us consider Nigeria first, let us seek and pursue peace, not just on our terms but in the larger interest of our country. PDP cannot afford to fail Nigerians again and no sacrifice can be too great to rescue our beloved country.”
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