*says PDP constitution must be followed
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday, disclosed that the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Iyorcha Ayu can only step aside if the party’s constitution is amended
Speaking in Ibadan at a meeting with PDP South West Zonal leaders, the Presidential candidate said the party needs to follow its constitution in determining what becomes the fate of the party’s national chairman.
Alhaji Abubakar was apparently reacting to Governor Seyi Makinde’s remarks that there is the need for Dr. Ayu to step down as the PDP National Chairman, since the party’s presidential candidate is also from the North.
According to the PDP Presidential candidate, what Governor Makinde is advocating for, ” is achievable “, but that there is the need for stakeholders and members of the party to abide by the party’s constitution, and that, ” this can only be realizeable if PDP constitution is amended.
” What Governor Seyi Makinde is calling for is achievable, we shall abide by the party’s constitution. We cannot go outside the party constitution. All views must go through PDP rules, and constitution,”.he said.
Stressing that the major concern in the PDP now should be how to win the 2023 elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar said it is possible for PDP to take over the South West states in the 2023 elections, saying, ” era of writing election results is over. The new Electoral Act has made rigging of elections impossible”.
Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde while speaking, disclosed that the only way out of the crisis in the PDP is for the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorcha Ayu to step aside.
Governor Makinde stressed, “PDP must restructure itself before it will restructure Nigeria.”
According to the governor, one of the conditions to restructure PDP is for Senator Ayu to resign, saying, PDP presidential candidate is from the North, while Ayu is also from the North and one of the conditions to balance the equation is to chose the National Chairman from the South, since the presidential candidate is from the North.
“We must speak the truth. The truth is that we don’t have any issue either with the party or the candidate. We don’t have any issue in PDP. This is not about individual. Those are the issues that are behind us, it has happened, it has happened”, he said.
The governor added, ” The issue is that we must restructure Nigeria if we want unity in Nigeria. But, we must restructure PDP itself before we restructure Nigeria. If we want to restructure Nigeria, do we have the capacity, the answer is yes. But, the South West PDP is asking the PDP chairman to resign. The south west PDP is telling the chairman to step down”.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was accompanied to Ibadan by his Vice Presidential candidate, Gov Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Gov Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, Senator Ademola Adeleke, Hon Soji Adagunodo, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu and his counterparts from Ondo, Olusegun Mimiko and Osun, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Eyitayo Jegede, Dino Melaye and Ladi Adebutu.
