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Tag: Iyorchia Ayu

  • PDP will win Lagos, 25 other states in 2023 – Ayu

    PDP will win Lagos, 25 other states in 2023 – Ayu

    Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed confidence that the party will win Lagos and other 25 states in the 2023 general election.

    Ayu stated this on Wednesday in Abuja, when he received the second stanza of the report of the PDP Special Reconciliation Committee for Lagos and Osun.

    He commended the committee for its indept report on Osun which greatly contributed to PDP victory in the state, expressing hope same would happen in Lagos in 2023.

    He said that the work of the committee had not only helped to address the PDP challenges in South West and also made Lagos more promising for the party in 2023.

    “Firstly, initial problems we had in the states you have helped us with interventions and recommendations to overcome some of these difficulties leading to the marvelous victory we have in Osun.

    “This is an achievement worth celebrating. Lagos is again looking very promising. PDP will have a governor in Lagos and several positions -the Senate, House of Assembly and so many other positions and of course crown it with the massive victory of our presidential candidate,” Ayu said.

    The party national chairman urged all PDP leaders and members to come together and work for the party’s victory in 2023.

    “I do agree with you absolutely that where the leadership of the party is united it is always possible to have possible results.

    “This has been demonstrated in a number of states already and since we came on board unity of the followership.

    “The leaders in Lagos whatever differences they have they are setting aside these differences, they are coming together for the greater glory of the party.

    “We pray and hope that all leaders in all chapters will come together will work as one family so that by early next year the PDP will be celebrating at least 25 governors and also be having a big victory party in the Presidential Villa. This will be possible with people like you,” he said.

    Presenting the report, Chief Eyitayo Jegede, the Chairman of the Committee, expressed hope that the PDP NWC would find the committee’s report useful for implementatin to change the fortunes of the party in Lagos State, so it can clinch the governorship and national assembly seats in the state.

    Jegede said that the what the committee did was to get the views and speak with all PDP leaders, elders and candidates in all elective positions in the state.

    He expressed joy that the committee got cooperation and supportive from members of PDP in Lagos, who were excited on the reconciliation efforts of the party leaders.

    “We left PDP Lagos is a more cohesive state than we met it. And most of the things we did was to bring all the various interest together,” he said.

    Jegede said after the interface with party leaders and members in the state, two committees were also set up to further consolidate the reconciliatory effort initiated by the committee.

    “At the end of the day we were able to come up with a memorandum of understanding, bring together the expectations of every person and more importantly the hope and desire of all of them to work together to achieve what we hope will be our victory come 2023.

    “That is the presidential and National Assembly election in February and governorship and state House of Assembly in March 2023.

    “By the grace of God, PDP will sweep the polls in Lagos. Like I said before our greatest opponent our ourselves.

    “Where PDPs fail is because PDP members made it to fail. Where we are united, we will emerged victoriously,” Jegede said.

    He expressed optimism that the history of PDP not to have been able to a produce governor in Lagos would change in 2023.

    In his remarks PDP National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu also commended the committee for a job well done.

  • JUST IN: PDP National Chairman, Ayu asked to step down

    JUST IN: PDP National Chairman, Ayu asked to step down

    In the interest of the party, the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu has been asked to step down.

    Ayu was admonished to relinquish his position in the interest of the party by Mr Ifedayo Adedipe, the Ondo Central Senatorial candidate of the party.

    Recall that Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers and four other governors have been calling for Ayu’s resignation as the national chairman to pave the way for inclusiveness in the party’s administration.

    Adedipe, who made the call on Sunday in Akure, said the crisis rocking the party was not a personal matter between Wike and the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    The PDP senatorial candidate said that it had became imperatives for the national chairman to make sacrifice by yielding to the call for inclusiveness and carrying them on board.

    According to him, what the governors are asking for is that the presidential candidate and the party’s national chairman should not come from the same region.

    Adedipe, who said he had sympathy for Wike for being the rock and pillar of the party between 2015 and now, regretted that the PDP “is still talking of unifying the party at this crucial time instead of talking of how to win election”.

    He said If the chairman wants to help his party, he should be ready to make sacrifices and look at what the party stands to lose if these governors are not on board.

    He pointed out that “it is better to make the supreme sacrifice so that the crisis will not damage the party”.

    “The crisis is not personal, the aggrieved governors are looking for inclusiveness, and don’t anybody deceive you that they cannot do nothing.

    “It will be counter productive and unhealthy for them to leave because we can not afford another eight years of APC under any guise.

    “Ironically, the PDP has more governors in the south than in the north. So, if I were the chairman, I will not wait till after winning the election before I resign in the interest of the party.

    “If Ayu can willingly relinquish his position in the interest of the party, he will automatically become a hero just as Aminu Tambuwa was termed as hero during the night of the party’s convention.

    “Ayu should become a hero by leaving now,” he said.

    The senatorial candidate, therefore, called on the electorates to resolve and vote for PDP in the senatorial, presidential and other elective positions in the forthcoming general election.

    He promised to be accessible to his constituents and represent them well if elected into the upper chamber of the National Assembly in the 2023 general election.

    The PDP senatorial candidate, who explained that he delved into politics to give back to the society, said “there is a limit to what an individual can do to help the society”.

    He lamented that the society lacked quality leaders with political will to improve the standard of living of the poor masses.

    “You will agree with me that no individuals, no matter how rich they are, can do what a well run government can do for the masses,” he said.

    According to him, there is no amount of wealth individual persons can possess to be able to fix roads, build bridges, hospitals and stadia, among others, for the benefit of the society without government interventions.

    Adedipe said that it was high time society began to have people with ideas, people with altruistic reasons to be in government.

    He said the national assembly, which which was designed for lawmaking and others, needed well informed legislators on board.

    “If I am elected into the national assembly, I will be a very good people’s senator, lobby on their behalf, work for them and I will always be available and accessible.

    “And if I do not represent them well, they can report me to my family because I am from the illustrious Elemo Family in Akure. I have a duty to hold the banner of the family without any stain.

    “And having reached the pinnacle of my carrier as a legal practitioner (SAN), I believe it’s high time I gave back to the society.

    “My duty is not to only the people of Akure but also to people of Ondo East, Ondo West, Ifedore, Idanre, Akure South and Akure North Local Government areas.

    Adedipe expressed confidence that the landmark achievements of the previous administration of the PDP, in both the state and county at large, would speak for it as a political party, given the reality on ground.

    He said that the people were yearning for the return of PDP in the state.

    According to him, every election is a referendum on the party in office and the ruling party is not a party to vote for in the state.

    “I am sure the people will make a wise choice.

    “Although, the APC may be in control of the state at the moment, during election we will know who the people prefer. But I can tell you that PDP is the people’s choice in Ondo State.

    “On election day, the electorates will come out massively because their votes are what will liberate them from the shackle of oppression that the APC had put us into,” he said.

  • PDP crisis: Again, Gov Wike fires shots at Ayu

    PDP crisis: Again, Gov Wike fires shots at Ayu

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has characteristically fired shots at the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, challenging him to dare stop any candidate of the party from contesting the 2023 general election if he has such capacity.

    Governor Wike threw up the challenge in Port Harcourt on Sunday at a media parley in reaction to recent comment by Senator Ayu saying that nobody can sack him, and that he has powers to stop any candidate from participating in the 2023 election.

    Governor Wike described such boast by Senator Ayu as evidence of arrogance and impunity because the threat, empty as it is, was directed at the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, who is his benefactor and guarantor when he contested for the party’s national chairmanship position.

    “That also tells you the impunity, I heard when he said he would have stopped (Gov) Ortom from running. You see how ungrateful humans are. This was the same (his) governor Ortom who pleaded with us and said he can take this risk and let him become the national chairman.

    “This is a man who never campaigned anywhere. This is a man who never printed any poster even when they gave him money to print posters. Now, he can even tell you that if he wanted to stop the man (Ortom) who brought him, who became his guarantor. That is the corruption we are talking about.

    “He has now come into office. He has seen money. He has seen power. Now, he can open his mouth to say that if he wanted to stop Ortom, he will do it. We dare him. And he said he can also stop any contestant. I dare him. If he is national chairman, I dare him to stop any contestant, if he has what it takes.”

    The Rivers State governor wondered the basis of Senator Ayu’s comment on him being sacked when the issues on ground is the demand for his resignation.

    Governor Wike said nobody has said that Senator Ayu should be sacked. He emphasised that it is important that people understand the difference between being sacked and the call for promises made to be kept.

    “And what we are saying is, as a man of honour, if he (Ayu) has any, keep to your honour, keep to your integrity. So, the issue of people sacking him does not arise.

    “All we are saying is, keep to the agreement, yes, in order for our party to show inclusivity, to show in our party that we are not marginalising any zone. That if the presidential candidate comes from the north as it has come from the north, then the national chairman will come from the south.

    “So, saying that nobody can sack him does not arise. Nobody has said he must be sacked. For you to be sacked, there are procedures for sacking people.”

    Governor Wike stressed that the call for the resignation of Senator Ayu is in agreement with the letter and spirit of the party’s constitution.

    The governor explained that the party’s constitution clearly spelt it out that the positions of the national chairman of the party and the presidential candidate cannot be of the same zone as currently is the case.

    “By our party’s constitution, there must be zoning for elective and political offices. He had said, knowing fully well that there was no way the presidential candidate and the national party’s chairman should come from one zone, that if the presidential candidate comes from the north I (he) will resign to allow the south to produce the national chairman.

    “If at this point in time, you’re the national chairman of the party who has told Nigerians that this is what you’ll do if this happens, and now that has happened and you’re running away from doing that, so, how do you think that Nigerians will believe you assuming you try to tell them to vote for your party.”

    Governor Wike said it is really up to Senator Ayu if he is still hell bent not to tread the path of honour in keeping his promise. He has however, advised Senator Ayu to be wary of whatever that is giving him confidence.

    “What we are saying is that we want our party to win. But if you think you can do without keeping to the promises you have made, so be it.”

    Speaking further, Governor Wike pointed to the fact that one of the reasons why Senator Ayu has been reluctant to leave office is because he wants to continue to superintendent over the PDP finances despite having failed to give account of how party primaries funds were expended.

    “Why does he not want to resign? He is hoping that Nigerians will donate money to the party so he will superintendent over that money.

    “He has already finished the one of N11 billion from party’s primaries. Account for it, he says it is in the account. Show the public the account. Print out the statement of account of PDP and let the world see how the N11 billion was expended.

    “And this is the party that all of us have laboured to takeover power from the ruling party that we said has done badly. And then the national chairman will open his mouth to talk about stopping contestants. Ayu shouldn’t say so. He tried it in Rivers State. He came to manipulate and try to put some gubernational aspirants, but he saw the result. We dealt with him.”

    Governor Wike mocked those who are saying that they can do without the five PDP governors demanding for inclusivity in the party.

    The governor reminded them that votes are not cast in the media, neither are elections won there, but in the units, local governments and States where those five governors are at home with their people.

    According to him, the outcome of the elections will surprise them.

    The governor also took a swipe at Dele Momodu, who only joined the PDP during the presidential primaries. he further mocked him for securing only one vote as presidential aspirant during the primaries.

    The Rivers State governor said he will never allow anybody to use his name to become relevant as Osita Chidoka is trying to do.

    Governor Wike stated when Chidoka was once denied the party’s governorship ticket in his State, he left the PDP to another.

    Governor Wike maintained that he is a different breed of a politician, who do not and will not abandoned his party, but has resolved to remain in it to fight for inclusivity.

  • Why I rejected collecting N1bn loan as suggested by Atiku- Ayu

    Why I rejected collecting N1bn loan as suggested by Atiku- Ayu

    Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has narrated how the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, suggested that he should take a loan of N1bn but after deliberations, the National Working Committee rejected the idea.

    Reacting to claims by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that he collected N1bn from a presidential aspirant, Ayu on Friday said he never collected N1bn from anyone.

    Ayu explained that when he assumed office as the chairman and needed to raise money for the party, he did not take money from the party as suggested by Atiku.

    He said he refrained from commenting on Wike’s allegations against him to avoid public altercations that could complicate matters for the party.

    Wike had in a media chat on September 23 accused Ayu of collecting N1bn from a presidential aspirant, which according to him, aided the emergence of Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.

    “Can Ayu deny that he did not collect N1bn from Lagos? He told one of the PDP presidential aspirants before the primaries that the governors were not ready to fund the party,” he said, claiming that he knew “how the money was arranged and those involved in packaging the money. He N1bn; let him come out to tell Nigerians that it is not true and I will reveal more,” Wike said.

    In his latest media chat on Friday, the governor said he stood by his claim, alleging further that the party chairman collected N100m from a governor to renovate the Peoples Democratic Institute, a subsidiary of the party, and that he turned round to collect the same amount from the party.

    But responding to the governor’s claims during a press briefing at the end of a special Board of Trustees meeting at the party’s headquarters after the BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, had submitted the report of his reconciliation committee, Ayu said the consistent attacks on his person were unfortunate.

    He stated, “When my BoT chairman talks, I am not supposed to say anything more. But since these allegations have persisted, I want to use this opportunity to clear the air. When the first allegation was made about the N1bn, I decided not to respond because we don’t want to cause altercations at the party.

    “However, I want to make it clear that at no time did I, as the national chairman of this party, collect any N1bn from anybody.

    “So, I state that I never collected N1bn from anybody. Also, the N100m that was donated by one of the governors has been judiciously used for the purpose (for which) it was given. In the next few weeks, we will be inviting all party leaders, including members of the press, to the inauguration of the PDI.

    “When we came in and the party had funding difficulties, the current presidential candidate suggested that the party should take a loan of N1bn from a bank. The owner of that bank was also an influential member of this party. He has left the party now.

    “When we discussed it with him, we discarded the idea and the party never took any loan or any money from anybody. I, as a person, never collected N1bn from anybody. Any money advanced to the party was declared before the National Working Committee and handed over to the national treasurer of the party.”

    He stressed that the party remained transparent in its financial dealings and that it would not renege on its promise to present its audited account to the public by December.

    Ayu also spoke on Wike’s allegation that he collected N100m from a governor and the party to relocate the PDI.

    “Ayu collected N100m from a governor. Let him (Ayu) say no that it is not true and I will tell you the governor. People don’t know these things,” the governor said during Friday’s media chat.

    In his response, Ayu stated, “Luckily, I had fully briefed the board that one of our governors made a contribution of N100m to the revival of the Peoples Democratic Institute, which was housed in a portakabin. And we explained to them that we hired an appropriate place in Asokoro; we have renovated it and furnished it.

    “Two or three days ago, we went there to inspect the place and the NWC decided that even before the inauguration, we should invite the governor in question to come and inspect what we have done with his money. I am happy to state that the national secretary of the party has since written a letter to that governor.

    “So, it is not true. Neither I nor the NWC ever took any money belonging to the party to carry out the renovation. In fact, we have not even exhausted that N100m, which was donated by one of the governors.”

    Meanwhile, the party chairman has asked Wike to leave his family out of the issues in the party.

    He was reacting to the statement by Wike that if he revealed all he knew about Ayu, his children would disown him.

    “If not for the love of this party, if we release what we have, Ayu’s children will tell him that ‘you are no longer our daddy,’” Wike said during the media chat.

    But Ayu stated, “The consistent attacks on my person since the end of the (special) convention on May 31 are deliberate and unfortunate. I have restrained myself from reacting. As the father of the party, I felt that I should encourage reconciliation.

    “But where it touches on my personal integrity, of which even my own family members are brought into play, it is incumbent upon me to reply.”

    He appealed to aggrieved party chieftains to spare his family members in their quarrels with him and the leadership of the party.

    Ayu to resign after poll
    The reconciliation committee of the PDP of Trustees on Friday submitted its report to the party, recommending among others, that the party’s national chairman should give assurance that he would resign after the 2023 general elections.

    The resolution signed by the BoT Chairman, Wabara, noted that people had been wronged on both sides, but that party leaders and people close to them should desist from making further inflammatory remarks or granting press interviews on the matter.

    It also called on the presidential candidate to review the list of members of the campaign council and other advisory appointments for inclusivity.

    It stated, “The BoT called on all the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum (Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State) to convene a meeting of the forum without further delay; called on all leaders of the party to match words with action, and where commitments are made, to unconditionally fulfill the same.”

    TheNewsGuru.com had earlier reported that the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT would apparently douse the tension engulfing the party and has moved to get a firm commitment from Ayu to resign immediately after the 2023 general election.

  • PDP crisis: I accept Atiku, Okowa but Ayu must resign – Gov Wike

    PDP crisis: I accept Atiku, Okowa but Ayu must resign – Gov Wike

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said he accepts Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 elections.

    Governor Wike also said he accepts Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the vice presidential candidate of the party but that the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu must resign.

    Wike made this disclosure in Port Harcourt on Thursday while hosting the Cross River PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Sandy Onor, and party stalwarts who visited him.

    While stressing that rent seekers in the PDP were frustrating his efforts for amicable resolution of the crisis rocking the party, the Rivers State Governor explained that the seeming intractable crisis in the party lingered because some vested interests, whom he described as “hyenas and rent seekers” remained obstinate and averse to justice, fairness and equity.

    He said he would not support the current situation where the party’s presidential candidate, the national chairman and the director-general of the Presidential Campaign Council are all from the northern part of the country.

    The governor said it was hypocritical of PDP members to criticise Muslim/Muslim ticket, while supporting that a particular region of the country should retain the presidency for another eight years.

    He insisted that for the sake of peace, PDP should adhere to its Constitution, which recommends that when a presidential candidate emerges from the North, the national chairman should be from the South.

    “The National Chairman said, if the presidential candidate comes from the North, he will resign; which means he has had this in mind. Now, the thing has come to reality; now resign, he said `no’ and people are saying go and talk to Wike.

    “I have accepted the presidential candidate. I have accepted the vice- presidential candidate, what’s the problem again? You, fulfil your part. Let the South have something; that is all I am preaching. You cannot have presidential candidate, national chairman, director-general of the campaign,’’ he stressed.

    Wike said there were more things that were wrong with the arrangement. “Nobody wants to speak the truth,’’ he persisted. According to him, refusal to cede the national chairmanship position to the South will be a recipe for crisis in the party.

    He said that the clamour for the chairmanship of the PDP to be zoned to the South would persist until justice, fairness and equity prevailed. Wike said the visit of the Cross Rivers delegates would spur him to continue to support the party in Cross River ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    He announced the donation of 25 buses to the party in Cross River and said while he would not go to the state to vote, he would support the candidates as his friends. He thanked Cross River PDP delegates for the support given to him at the PDP presidential primary election.

    Earlier, Sen. Onor, who led the delegation, said Gov. Wike remained a trail blazer for justice, fairness and equity. Onor stressed that no person in the contemporary history of the PDP had made more sacrifices for the party than Gov. Wike had done.

    He commended Wike for his steadfast support for the party in Cross River, and said the visit was to express the party’s gratitude for his unparalleled benevolence.

    Similarly, Sen. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, (PDP-Cross River-North) noted that without Wike’s support, PDP would have been made extinct in Cross River.

    On his part, Mr Venatius Ikem, Cross River PDP Chairman, thanked Wike for his unrelenting support of the party.

    The delegation comprised South-South PDP National Vice-Chairman, Mr Dan Orbih and other party members. Also in the delegation were Cross River PDP senatorial, House of Representatives, House of Assembly candidates and PDP local government party chairmen.

  • PDP National Chairman sheds light on his faults in party’s corruption allegations

    PDP National Chairman sheds light on his faults in party’s corruption allegations

    Following allegations of corruption and mismanagement of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, funds leveled against the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, he has admitted to having faults, stressing that “stealing is not one of them”.

    Breaking his silence over allegations of corruption and mismanagement of party funds, Ayu said the allegations were unfounded because although as a human being he had his frailties.

    He spoke against the backdrop of allegations that housing allowances paid to members of the party’s National Working Committee were hush money to cover up malfeasance.

    According to him, he took over the reins of the leadership of the party to restore its lost glory and propel it back into office because the PDP was not designed to play Opposition politics but to win elections and provide purposeful leadership for the country.

    Ayu spoke while welcoming the Forum of Elected Ex-Officio Members of the party who paid him a solidarity visit at the PDP National Headquarters, on Friday.

    This was contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Communications), Simon Imobo-Tswam.

    Ayu also revealed that he has instructed the Finance Department to maintain and update the party’s income and expenditure account for presentation to the Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) at the first-year anniversary of the present NWC in December.

    Ayu said although he has many faults as a human being, stealing was not one of them, adding that the present NWC is being guided by the principles of transparency and accountability.

    The party chairman said, “The PDP was not founded to be in opposition. We founded the party to access power and develop the country. And my historic task is to return the party to power. I won’t be Chairman forever. For now, my preoccupation is to return the Party to power. I did not come to steal. My public service record is there.

    “I have been a leader of the National Assembly. I have been a minister many times. As a person, I have many faults, but stealing is not one of them. I am conscious of my place in history, and the NWC that I lead is guided by the twin principles of transparency and accountability.

    “You may be reading many things and expecting my reaction. If we don’t always talk, it is because we want to maintain and build cohesion in the party. We don’t want continuous altercations in the PDP Family. Our eyes are on the big picture i.e. winning the 2023 general elections.”

    He further said, “Therefore, let us not lose focus. Let us keep our eyes glued to the big picture. Everything else is secondary. We took office because there was a crisis in the party.

    “And we don’t want to keep moving from crisis to crisis. It’s not good for the party. We can’t be in perpetual crises, especially where the crisis is artificial.”

    He added: “The NWC met and discussed the issue of Housing Allowance. It was unanimously agreed that no bribe or any form of illegality took place. A statement has since been issued to that effect. The matter has now been laid to rest.”

    Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Forum, Hon. Yunana Iliya, said the members were at the party secretariat to express solidarity with the National Chairman and pledged their unalloyed loyalty to the Ayu-led NWC.

    “We stand by the recent Vote of Confidence passed on you by the highest decision-making body of the party, the National Executive Committee (NEC), and we urge all party faithful to close ranks in PDP’s rescue work,” he added.

  • Ayu reveals apprehension he had over Atiku’s visit to Bauchi

    Ayu reveals apprehension he had over Atiku’s visit to Bauchi

    National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Iyiorcha Ayu has disclosed that he was apprehensive over the visit of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the party to Bauchi State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Atiku had earlier received thousands of defectors from the All Progressives Congress and other political parties at a ceremony held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi.

    Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Multi-Purpose Indoor Sports Hall, Bauchi, Ayu disclosed that he was apprehensive that people in North-East will not come out for Atiku.

    “While we were coming here today, I was apprehensive that perhaps, when we come, the North-East will not come out. A political party is the people, it is not just the leaders, sometimes, we lay too much emphasis on the leaders.

    “Today, we see that the PDP is the strongest party in Nigeria. Those who have been building imaginary rallies; today, it was not a rally, it was a reception but we saw the number of people that came out like bees.

    “That is to tell you that the PDP is strong on the ground, we don’t want to be strong on social media, we don’t want to be strong only on manipulated images on television, we want to see the real people,” Ayu said.

    Ayu admonished the people to come out en masse and vote for all the candidates of the PDP from the State Assembly to the President in order to shame the enemies of the party who had been doing all they could to divide the party and had been lying that the party was divided.

    “And today, it was clear that the PDP is a strong party. There are enemies of the party who are determined to cause division among us, who are telling lies about divisions in the PDP.

    “I want to assure you that they will be disappointed because at the end of the day, this party will come up en masse and vote for all our candidates from bottom to top, not from top to bottom but from the bottom to the top – all our House and National Assembly candidates, and all our governors will come back to office.

    “And of course, having stayed out of power for eight years, the PDP is marching massively to Aso Villa with President Atiku Abubakar. He will resume back to the place where he has experience there as a Vice President and assisted ably, by Vice President Ifeanyi Okowa,” he stated.

    The PDP National Chairman added that: “In a presidential election, if you don’t win Bauchi, you can’t win the presidency, and we are very sure that with what we saw today; the massive mobilisation that has been done, we are certainly on our way to victory.

    “Atiku is your son, the North-East has never had a President before and yet, when democracy started, the North-East led the way with Alhaji Tafawa Balewa. Power is returning to the North-East, vote for your son, come out en masse, it is not enough to come for the rally.

    “All of you should have a Permanent Voter Card make sure you campaign at your polling unit, don’t campaign only at rallies, we don’t want people in Abuja, everybody must go back home to his polling unit. On that day (election day), we will shock Nigerians, the victory margin is going to be seven million votes.

    “Atiku Abubakar will move to the Villa and we will rescue the country from all the damages that the present government has done. We have suffered insecurity in the North-East, you are suffering from hunger, you are suffering from diseases. The PDP under the leadership of President Atiku Abubakar will correct these ills.”

  • PDP’s Ayu bows to pressure, brands Wike party’s greatest asset

    PDP’s Ayu bows to pressure, brands Wike party’s greatest asset

    Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, has eulogized Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike, branding him PDP’s greatest Asset amid the crisis bedeviling the party.

    Ayu confessed that Wike has helped rescue the party since time immemorial.

    The PDP National Chairman disclosed this through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Yusuf Dingyadi, in a chat with journalists in Kaduna on Tuesday.

    He said: “We are trying to see that everyone is giving a fear hearing. As we speak, the local reconciliation committee is meeting with party members at the state level to discuss issues and find solutions to those issues.

    “For example, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is one of the great assets to PDP. He is a leader, governor, and somebody who has helped to rescue PDP since time immemorial.

    “Since Ayu took over as the chairman of the party to date, he has made tremendous progress in building the party in all 36 States including the FCT Abuja.”

    Wike has been aggrieved with PDP over the refusal of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to pick him as his running mate.

    Subsequently, Wike has called for the resignation of Ayu laying claims to internal zoning arrangement of the PDP.

  • Amidst bribery scandal rocking party, PDP Chairman returns to Nigeria

    Amidst bribery scandal rocking party, PDP Chairman returns to Nigeria

    National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, in the heat of the  bribery scandal threatening to tear the party apart, on Friday returned to the country after a two-week trip to Europe.

    The Special Adviser to the National Chairman on Media, Mr Simon Imobo-Tswam, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Friday in Abuja.

    Imobo-Tswam said that Ayu, who jetted out of the country on Sept. 14 returned to Abuja via the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, at about 7pm.

    It is recalled that Ayu had handed over to the party’s Deputy Chairman (North), Amb. Iliya Damagun, and communicated the handover to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

  • PDP crisis: 10 takeaways from Governor Wike’s media chat

    PDP crisis: 10 takeaways from Governor Wike’s media chat

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Friday held for almost two hours a media chat during which he addressed many issues tearing the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) apart.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Governor Wike disclosed that the party laid the foundation for the crisis when it jettisoned its zoning principle as contained in its constitution and the presidential ticket was supposed to have been zoned exclusively to the South.

    Wike further said the PDP National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu is not a trustworthy character, stressing Ayu promised to resign if a Northern presidential candidate emerged, but has refused to fulfil his promise despite the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the party for the 2023 elections.

    Here are major takeaways from the chat that held many spell-bound:

    1. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) laid the foundation for the crisis when it jettisoned the zoning principle contained in its Constitution. The Presidential ticket was supposed to have been zoned exclusively to the South.

    2. The PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, is not a trustworthy character. He promised to resign if a Northern presidential candidate emerged, but had refused to fulfil his promise despite the emergence of Atiku Abubakar.

    3. The convention that produced Atiku Abubakar was highly compromised and flawed by the actions of Ayu. He said: “It would have ended in crisis if not for the love I have for the PDP.”

    4. Ayu deployed intimidation and abused his office when he convened many meetings in the houses of retired generals. The meetings, according to Wike, were ” to ensure that I did not emerge the flag bearer of the party. He even vowed to resign if I should win the party’s ticket.”

    5. PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is not a trustworthy character. He lacks integrity. Wike alleged: “He visited me after his emergence and promised that Ayu would resign, but he failed to actualise it. He also met us in London and promised that Ayu must go but we were surprised that he went to a gathering and cited constitutional issues.”

    6. PDP is arrogant and needs restructuring. The Governor claimed: “A party that is in the opposition and serious to win an election cannot be as arrogant as the PDP. If the PDP cannot restructure itself to correct the marginalisation in the PDP, Nigerians are now doubting the party’s capacity to unite the country.”

    7. Atiku is surrounded by those without much political value. “Those asking the party to sanction me, especially Waziri from Yobe State lack electoral values. Since 1999, PDP has never won Yobe,” he stated.

    8. PDP cannot dare sanction, let alone suspend me. “I dare the party to sanction me. They should do it. Who will sanction me? Those, who left the party cannot sanction me. If they do it, they know what I can do,” he warned.

    9. No backing for Atiku until demands are met. “If at the end, the party refuses to meet our demand, we will meet again to take a decision on our next strategies for the election. Haven’t you seen where a senatorial candidate lost in an area while the governorship candidate from the same party won in that same place?”

    10. There is nothing that justifies Ayu remaining in the office. Ayu should demonstrate that he loves the PDP by resigning. The NEC can meet and take the decision and later rectify it in a convention after the election.