PDP Crisis: Arapaja May Replace Ayu

A former deputy governor of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja has been tipped as the next national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A source privy to the discussion between Governor Nyesom Wike’s camp and party chieftains said Arapaja who is the deputy national chairman of the party was tipped to succeed Iyorcha Ayu whose removal seems likely as part of the conditions for them to work with Atiku’s camp.

They insisted that the national chairman of the party cannot come from the same zone that produces the presidential candidate.

At the meeting which was held at Carlton Hotel Parklane London on Thursday, it was gathered that they told Atiku to prevail on the national chairman to step down and allow a southerner to succeed him.

At the meeting were Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) as well as former Governors Donald Duke (Cross River), Segun Mimiko (Ondo) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe).

Apart from the immediate step aside of Ayu, the Wike camp also demanded to produce the Senate President and some principal officers of the National Assembly and nominate for appointment ministers for some key ministries and heads of parastatals, agencies if elected next year.
The Wike group gave two main reasons for its demand for Ayu’s resignation. The first was to correct the imbalance in the leadership of the party in which all the top national positions in the PDP were being held by members from the northern zones of the country.
It said Mr Ayu himself had foreseen such imbalance before he was elected by consensus last year and had pledged to step down should the party also nominate a northerner as presidential candidate.
The second reason, the group cited, was the alleged divisiveness of Mr Ayu, saying his leadership style has worsened crises in the party.
The Wike group believed that Atiku could prevail on Mr Ayu to step down because they were allies and that the national chairman had clandestinely supported Atiku in the party primaries.
At the meeting, Atiku had pointed out to the group that Mr Ayu’s resignation would not correct the imbalance in the leadership, as the deputy national chairman (North), Umar Damagum, would be required to fill the vacancy such a step would create, in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution.
The constitution of the party prescribes that the deputy national chairman from the home region of the national chairman would act in the absence of the national chairman or take the office if it becomes vacant before the end of their tenure.
But the Wike group said that constitutional obstacles could be circumvented by both Mr Ayu and Mr Damagum resigning to give Mr Arapaja a clear path to the seat.