Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alh. Atiku Abubakar has said he never told anyone the PDP National Party Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, must resign because he emerged the flag bearer.
Atiku said he never made that commitment either in public or in private.
Recall Governor Nyiesom Wike had alleged that Atiku told him since he is from the north and Ayu is also from the north, it is only fair that the party national chairman seat reverts to the south in the spirit of fairness and respect for the PDP constitution..
Atiku in a statement personally signed by him said the decision to resign lies absolutely with Ayu and he won’t ask him to reign..
“On the calls for the resignation or removal from office of our national chairman, however, I must reiterate what I have said severally in public and in private; the decision for Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign from office is personal to Dr. Ayu and, neither I nor anyone else can make that decision for him” Atiku declared.
“As to the calls for the removal of Dr. Ayu from office, however, I will state that, as a committed democrat and firm believer in the rule of law and democratic tenets, and our party being one set up, organized and regulated by law and our constitution, it is my absolute belief that every thing that we do in our party must be done in accordance with, and conformity to, the law and our constitution. If Dr. Ayu is to be removed from office, it must be done in accordance with the laws that set out the basis for such removal. In any event, you will all recall that the very body that is empowered by law to initiate this removal from office, has already passed a vote of confidence in him” Atiku further stated.
