* Calls on party leaders to match words with action by unconditionally fulfilling commitments made
*Ayu denies collecting N1bn, explains N100m donation by gov
By Chuks Okocha in Abuja
In a bid to douse the tension in the party, the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to give a firm assurance that he will resign his position after the 2023 election.
After the October 2021 national convention, Ayu had said on Arise TV that if the presidential candidate of the party emerges from the northern part of the country and if the party asks him to resign, that he would gladly do so.
With the emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate, the Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, Oyo state Governor, Seyi Makinde, Benue state Governor Samuel Ortom, Abia state state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and some elders of the party like Chief Bode George had asked Ayu to resign, alleging marginalisation of the South with the presidential candidate and the national chairman coming from the north.
A communiqué of the BoT meeting read by Acting Chairman, former Senate President Adolphus Wababa, Friday however demanded a firm commitment from Ayu that he would resign after the general election
The resolutions of the special Board of Trustee meeting read:: “To call on all Party leaders and persons close to them, to desist from making further inflammatory remarks or granting press interviews.
“To call call on the Chairmen of the PDP Governors Forum to convene a meeting of the PDP Governors Forum without further delay.
“To urge the National Chairman as an eminent leader to give a firm assurance that he would resigns his position after the 2023 elections. In the same vein the BoT Chairman has been authorized to offer apologies on behalf of all members who feel malign or aggrieved by the public statements made by its members across the country that has sharpen the current division in the party.
“To call on the presidential candidate to review its appointments of members of the campaign council and other advisory appointments to make it all inclusive.
“The BoT will refer some of these recommendations for noting and appropriate action to NEC of our party in due Course.”, the communiqué of the PDP BoT said.
Speaking on why he refused to comment on allegations against him, Ayu said, “This is a meeting of the BoT which I am only a member, as allegations persist, it is an opportunity to clear the air. I decided not to respond not to encourage altercations in the party.
“However, I want to make it clear that at no time did I as the National Chairman of the party collect any N1bn from anybody.”
Ayu continued:, “When we came in and the party had funding difficulties the presidential candidate suggested that we should take a loan from the bank and the owner of that bank is a member of the party, he has even left the party.
“The party never took any loan from anybody. Any money advanced to the party was declared before the NWC and handed over to the National Treasurer. All our accounts are up to date and we promised to publish the accounts at the end of the year.
“On today’s allegations, I fully briefed the BoT that one of our governors made a contribution of 100 million for the revival of the PDI which was housed in a portacabin and I explained to them that we hired an appropriate place in Asokoro, we have furnished it, renovated it.
“Three days ago, we went there, inspected it and the NWC decided that before commissioning we should invite the governor in question to come and inspect what we have done with his contribution.
“I am happy that the National Secretary of the party has since written a letter to that governor. I or the NWC has never taken any money to carry out that renovation. In fact, we have not even exhausted that N100 million by one of the governors.
“The consistent attack on my person since the end of the convention on the 31st of May I have refrained from reacting. As the father of the party I felt I should encourage reconciliation. But where it touches on my personal integrity or even my family members are brought into play I appealed to such people to desist from trying to malign my character or bringing my family into party affairs”, Ayu said.
Speaking before the BoT went into a closed door meeting, Ayu said that the singular goal of the PDP was to win the forthcoming elections, particularly the presidential election
He explained further, ” the NWC of which I am the chairman, is very desirous of having a united party. Since we came in, we have worked towards having a very united and effective party that can fight and win the forthcoming elections. In spite of the perceived crisis in the party, we have worked hard behind the scenes to bring about peace and reconciliation in the party.
“Many of us in the NWC have reached out to members of the party who are not happy and talked to them. We had series of meetings with them and we also felt that since the matter has not been completely resolved, The BoT as the conscience of the party, are advisors, made up of very responsible members of the party, should also add their voice to what is going on in the party.
It is on that note that NWC decided to invite the chairman of the BoT to put together the committee to seek ways of bringing this reconciliation in the party.
“I’m happy that you have done just that. And I want to particularly thank the chairman, the new chairman of the BoT, who in spite of being bereaved, undertook this assignment seriously, went across the country, traveled everywhere and the NWC gave full support to what they were doing.
“So today, they have completed the assignments and are presenting it to the BoT as a whole. We hope this will help to unite the party or move the party towards a strong position that they will be able to fight and win the elections. We have only one desire and that desire is that party returns to power. And since we came in about 10 months ago, that’s all we have been doing.”
