In the heat of the crisis threatening the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming general polls, national chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, has transmitted power to his deputy and is billed to jet out to Europe where he would be spending two weeks.
His special adviser to on Media and Communications, Simon Imobo-Tswam, disclosed that the national chairman will handover to the deputy chairman (North), Amb Iliya Damagun, who will act in his place.
A statement by the media aide added that he has already communicated the handover to the Independent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The statement was however silent on the reason for his trip abroad.
“The PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, will leave Nigeria for Europe tomorrow (Wednesday).
“Ayu will be out of the country for about two weeks. While away, the Deputy Chairman (North), Amb. Iliya Damagun, will act in his place.
“Already, the National chairman has communicated the handover to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He is expected back at month-end,” the statement noted.
Ayu’s trip comes as party leaders are planning to embark on a final push for reconciliation with aggrieved PDP governors, namely Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, Seyi Makinde of Oyo; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.
Wike and some of his aggrieved colleagues had insisted on the sack of PDP national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, despite the vote of confidence passed on him by the National Executive Committee (NEC) last Thursday.
Ayu’s visit to Europe comes as the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, is yet to return from London.
Ortom, a top critic of the way the selection of the party’s presidential running mate was handled, had traveled to London ahead of the NEC meeting last week.
In a related development, Ayu declared that Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa is the most qualified running mate to their presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Ayu said they looked around and found out that Okowa is the one to assist Atiku in delivering good dividends to Nigerians.
Speaking at the Northern Christian Youth Assembly Summit with the theme, “Unifying Nigeria: The Role Of Northern Christian Youths And Women,” held in Abuja, Ayu said Okowa was selected because of his humility.
He said, “We looked around and we thought we have to give not just a vice president that will assist him (Atiku) but we did our homework to select a young man who is highly educated, very humble, and who has done very well as a governor in his home state.
“Okowa is the most qualified running mate. It is on his own personal merit that he was selected by the party as the vice presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar. I think Nigeria will be very lucky to have two such people who are committed to development who are detribalised who believe in uniting this country.
“What you are doing is a service to humanity. If you give them your support and you mobilise the rest of Nigerians to support, I believe we can salvage this country and make a difference,” Ayu told the youth and women.
Also speaking, the PDP presidential running mate, Sen Ifeanyi Okowa, told the youth that with their support, they are going to win the 2023 election.
He said the party leadership will be receiving many decampees into the PDP adding that people are kying into the Atiku/Okowa project.
Okowa who commended the group for organising the meting to discuss Nigeria’s challenges on the pathway to finding solutions, added that it is the hallmark of those who think and use their brains.
“PDP will win the election because many people have keyed into this project. We are receiving decampees in drops. When we talk about the future is for the youths, yes it is actually from today but the real truth is, our youths, particularly youths leaders must be in position to have a clear understanding so that they are able to guide others aright because if you have a leadership that is not able to provide that true leadership of guiding people aright and people begin to think in the wrong way, you create further problems rather than finding solutions and we go the wrong path.
“We are going to see bullying in the cyber space of our country. I think that everybody should have his space, time to be able to think, make comments without being bullied. We need to do critical thinking and that is why we are gathered here today.
“The topic for the event is key because it talks about unifying Nigeria. This is instructive because there is strength in our diversity but that will only be when we are able to unite ourselves, ” Okowa added.
Okowa said he personally does not believe in the Muslim -Muslim tickets because there is diversity when it comes to that.
He continued: “Therefore, sticking to one faith is not a good thing to do particularly in a troubled nation as we are in today. It’s almost like going on to having the presidential candidate pick his vice presidential candidate from the north and picking the vice presidential candidate also from the North.
“So, the only ticket that can work for our Nigeria is the ticket that is not trying to build itself to election victory to either the Muslim or Christian faith”.
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