The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said that the embattled National Chairman of the PDP, Sen Iyorchia Ayu, can only be removed when the opposition party amends its constitution.
Atiku made the assertion when he met Oyo State PDP stakeholders during a consultation visit on Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
During the meeting, Gov Seyi Makinde of Oyo, a member of the Pro-Wike group of the party, restated calls for the removal of Ayu, who headed for Europe on a 14-day visit on Wednesday.
Responding to Makinde’s call, Atiku said such a move could only be possible if the PDP amends its constitution, saying no individual can change the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, which recently passed a Vote of Confidence in Ayu’s leadership.
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“The Peoples Democratic Party is the oldest political party in Nigeria since the return of democracy and even before then. It is a party that has laid-down rules and regulations,” Atiku said.
“I have been a member of the party since when it was formed and I am still a member of the party up to the point of what it has grown to become.
“There is nothing any individual can do to change the outlook of the national working committee of the PDP.
“The PDP is a party where there are laid-down rules and regulations. What Governor Makinde is asking for is possible only when we have amended our party’s constitution.
“As things stand today, no single individual has the power to tamper with the NWC of the party. Doing so will be illegal and it will be against our rules in the party.
“Nigerians will not trust us to govern by the tenets of rule of law if we take such arbitrary action against our own party.”
Party Dignitaries present at the meeting included Governors Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) PDP Vice-Presidential candidate, Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Umar Damagum, PDP Deputy National Chairman (North); and Taofeek Arapaja, National Deputy Chairman (South), Liyel Imoke, former Cross River Governor, Ayo Fayose, former Ekiti Governor.
Also present were Ademola Adeleke, Osun Governor-Elect, Olajide Adediran (Jandor) and Funke Akindele, Lagos PDP Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates respectively.