Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said the call for the re-composition of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) was not impossible, but only when the constitution of the party has been amended to accommodate such demand.
Atiku spoke on Wednesday, in Ibadan, the Oyo capital, during an interactive meeting with party stakeholders
THEWILL earlier reported that the South-West chapter of the PDP, on Wednesday, demanded the resignation of Dr Iyorchia Ayu, as National Chairman of the party.
Speaking on behalf of the South West PDP, Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, said, “Eight years of APC has left us sharply divided. The issue is, we must practice what we preach. If we want to unify Nigeria, we must unify PDP first.
“If we want to restructure Nigeria, we must have the willingness to bring inclusivity to PDP. Do we have the capacity? The answer is resounding yes. The message from South West PDP is the South-West is asking that NWC of PDP should be restructured. We are asking the National Chairman to step down, so that the South will be fully included. That is the message.”
Responding, Abubakar said any decision to remove Ayu as National Chairman cannot be taken without considering the legal implications.
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According to the former Vice President, Dr Iyorchia Ayu can be removed when the PDP constitution is amended.
His words: “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.
“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.”
The southwest stakeholders’ interactive session was attended by leaders of the PDP across the six states of the geopolitical zone with a common resolution to ensure victory for the PDP in next year’s general election.
PDP leaders who attended the interactive session included the chief host, Governor Makinde; PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu; former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose; Osun State Governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke; as well as the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State, Olajide Adediran, and his running mate, Funke Akindele.
Others are Atiku, the PDP vice presidential candidate and Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa; PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; former Cross River State governor, Liyel Imoke; PDP Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Damagum, and PDP National Deputy Chairman (South) Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, among others.
