THERE is pervasive suspense in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its leaders converge on Abuja today to find a lasting solution to the crisis of confidence among them over the fate of the national chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
The meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) is taking place against the backdrop of calls by Governor Nyesom Wike and his allies that Ayu should step aside as part of a compromise to resolve the lingering faceoff.
The Third Republic president of the Senate has since advised those demanding that he resigns to perish the thought, stressing that he has a four-year mandate in office.
But, there were claims that the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of PDP, Senator Walid Jibrin, may resign from his position, ostensibly to address the imbalance in power sharing between the North and the South over key positions in the party.
Two members of the board, who spoke to one the Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday, said they were not aware of such planned resignation by Jibrin.
One of the elders confirmed that the BoT has scheduled a meeting for Abuja today, while another member of the body said he could not speak on the supposed plan by Jibrin to resign. Nonetheless, another major stakeholder in the PDP at the national level told the Nigerian Tribune that the raging power struggle over disequilibrium in power sharing between the North and the South might persist even if the BoT chairman steps aside.
This, he explained, was because the action might not placate the Wike group, as the post occupied by Jibrin is advisory, adding that the presidential candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, needs to act decisively on the crisis to stabilise the PDP.
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He said: “I doubt if this resignation will be acceptable to the Wike group. BoT chairmanship is a glorified and ceremonial post with no executive powers. It is mainly advisory. The issues at hand are personal between Ayu and Wike. Why is Atiku playing the ostrich on the matter.”
When contacted by the Nigerian Tribune to confirm reports that he planned to step aside as BoT chairman, Jibrin said he would be addressing a press conference today on his stand on all issues pertaining to the current situation in the party.
The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the various organs of the party are meeting this week to push for resolution of the crisis arising from the selection of former Vice President Atiku as PDP presidential candidate, which has since set him against Wike.
The fate of the national chairman of the party, Ayu, is expected to top the list of the agenda.
Since Atiku announced Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his choice for running mate, he has faced resistance from Wike supporters. The Rivers governor had also been overwhelmingly endorsed by a committee set up to help Atiku to arrive at a suitable running mate only for him to jettison its report.
His group blamed Ayu for the turn of events in the running mate selection process.
Since Okowa’s presentation as running mate, the party organs had been unable to meet because of the disagreement that followed Atiku’s choice.
Wike and his major allies, including Governors Sam Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Uguanyi (Enugu), have since refrained from working with the party or the presidential candidate in preparation for the 2023 general election.
Among the conditions they have laid out to work with the former vice-president is the replacement of Ayu as the national chairman of the PDP, to create a geographical balance in the party organogram.
The national caucus of the party was scheduled to meet on Wednesday while meetings of its Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Executive Committee (NEC) were slated for Thursday.
With the 2023 election edging closer, many party stakeholders are pressing for a quick resolution of the tiff with Wike’s camp even if the party boss has to be sacrificed.
Among the strongest voices is the PDP BoT chairman who has already thrown his weight behind the move to restructure the party offices to reflect diversity as he posited that it is unfair for both the presidential candidate of the party and its national chairman to come from the same zone.
“To tell the truth, it will not be fair for the president of Nigeria to be from the north, the chairman of the party from the north and the BoT chairman from the north,” Jibrin argued.
However, despite the sustained pressure from the Wike group for Ayu to resign, the party boss cannot do so unless it becomes a decision of the party hierarchy.
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