Ayu’s suspension: G5 Govs, Atiku’s camp in PDP supremacy battle

The post-election conflict in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has taken renewed steam as the party’s aggrieved governors, G5 Governors, and the camp of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, fight for the soul of the opposition party.

Barely 24 hours after the suspension of the National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, at the ward level in Benue State, a high court order surfaced asking Ayu to stop parading himself as PDP’s chairman.

However, a statement on Monday by Ayu’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Simon Imobo-Tswam, described the suspension and court order as a mere exercise in futility.

Ayu insisted he remains the national chairman of the party.

The renewed hostility came after the National Working Committee of PDP suspended former governors Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu) and a former Senate President, Anyim Pius, and others for alleged anti-party activities.

At the same time, the PDP’s leadership recommended Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, a member of the G5 governors for the disciplinary committee.

The action by the national leadership did not go down well with the G5 governors made of Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Ortom.

Speaking on Ayu’s suspension saga on Monday, Wike said Ayu is why PDP failed woefully at the just concluded general elections.

Meanwhile, Atiku’s camp has not hidden its support for Ayu, according to the spokesman of PDP’s Presidential Campaign Committee, Charles Aniagwu; he said Wike should be blamed for the crisis rocking PDP in Benue.

“Governor Wike is writing his history, and that history will not be kind to him over time. They are trying to destroy the party believing that they are strong men today because they are in power”, Aniagwu said.