2023: PDP BoT Chair Advises Ayu’s NWC to Be Neutral, Reconcile Aggrieved Members

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jubrin, has advised the Senator Iyorchia Ayu-led National Working Committee (NWC) to be fair and neutral to all presidential aspirants of the party.

He also tasked the NWC to embark on massive reconciliation of all aggrieved members of the party, if they wanted to have a successful tenure.

Jubrin gave the advised against the perceived close relationship between Ayu and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who is a presidential aspirant.

Speaking at the inauguration of the BoT under the new NWC, Jubrin said, “May I urge the National Chairman therefore to use his wealth of experience to make the party great as it remains the largest party in Africa. You must try to reconcile individuals, states, and all national issues.”

While urging the new NWC to be neutral and fair, the PDP BoT further said, “Do not be detracted by the ambition of Individual members but keep the party as formidable as possible.

“Concentrate on your duties and not more of who shall be the President, Vice President, Senate President etc. Do not side any individual with self-ambition and try to reduce the state of godfatherism. Please, respect the dignity of individual and dynamism of a group,” he charged Ayu and his team.

Responding, Ayu said, “I personally have no any personal interest. I will not be part of any factions in any state. Now, we’re not encouraging factions.”

Emphasising the importance of team work, Ayu told Jubrin, “I also want to say clearly that no single individual can win elections in the states. State leaders must work as a team. If you work as a team, you will win elections in your state.

“Most of the elections we have lost in PDP is because PDP defeated PDP. That should never be encouraged. And part of the problem is because the leadership of the party sometimes takes sides with certain factions,” Ayu stated.

He, therefore, said, “During my leadership of the party, I will try to be free, fair, and make the interest of the party to be paramount, it should not override a broader interest. I believe that if we go along this route, we will be able to recapture the lost glory of the PDP”.