Ayu Must Go! Rivers PDP Backs Wike

• Says Governor our indisputable leader

BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says there is no compromise in backing its leader, Governor Nyesom Wike’s position demanding that Senator Iyorchia Ayu quits as the Party’s National Chairman.

Against the backdrop of ongoing consultations between the camps of Governor Wike and the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to resolve the current internal wranglings in the nation’s main opposition party, the State PDP Publicity Secretary, Tambari Sydney Gbara, said the entire party structure was behind the governor as its indisputable leader in Rivers state.

According to the party’s spokesman, it was regrettable that for some pecuniary reasons, a few PDP chieftains in the state have chosen to ignore provisions of the PDP constitution.

“Governor Wike is the leader of PDP in Rivers State. Therefore, where he stands, is where we stand as a party”, Gbara said, insisting that the call for Ayu’s resignation was in line with provisions of the PDP’s constitution, which frowns at a section of the country producing both the Party’s National Chairman and presidential candidate.

Going down memory lane, the PDP spokesman said; “In 2007 and 2008 when President Musa Yar’Adua emerged as the standard bearer of the PDP at the national level, Col. Ahmadu Ali (rtd) who was the National Chairman then, had to resign.

“A mini-convention was immediately convoked that brought Prince Vincent Ogbulafor from the South, to balance up. Therefore, why should it be different now?”

He said eloquent testimonies of Wike’s leadership qualities are further demonstrated by the decisions taken by ma the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the state to dump their party and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for the PDP.

Gbara, who listed some of the APC’s leaders that have joined the PDP to include Sam Sam Jaja, Adoye Wilcox, Princewill Dike, Chris Finebone, and George Tolofari, among others, however, said the internal disagreements within the PDP were expected given the current transition period.

While boasting that the PDP will continue to consolidate its hold on Rivers state, the Party spokesman claimed that; “Nobody sees something good and will not want to identify with it. The truth is that our leader, the executive governor has done so well that people are being attracted to the party.

“They have seen the extent to which he had developed the state as a second-term governor. He is not just inaugurating projects, he is still flagging off projects. It is something amazing. That is why we see people who were the pillars of the opposition party coming to the PDP.

“The next election is a complete walkover for PDP in Rivers. But we are not sleeping. We are putting our house together to start our campaigns after the PVC collection rally. We will work very hard to reach the nooks and crannies of the state and preach the gospel of PDP.”

Specifically, Gbara said; “Governor Wike has given us a lot of things to talk about and campaign with. We will keep consolidating at the grassroots to retain Rivers State. People should join the winning team. They should be part of the good things happening in Rivers.

“PDP members should be steadfast and continue to support Wike. There is no crisis in the party. It is a transition period and you see things like this happening. But as a party and a family, we already know that at this time certain persons who might be disgruntled will express themselves, but it is nowhere affecting the consolidation of PDP in the state. We are on the ground and united as a party.”