The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has broken its silence as the party chairman, Iyorchia Ayu battles with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state.
This followed alleged reports that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike reportedly called for the resignation of Ayu as a condition for peace and to support the PDP presidential candidate.
In an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, stated that he won’t resign from his position, stressing that he is not bothered by the calls for his resignation.
The PDP Chairman described those plotting his removal as party chairman as children, adding that he was elected based on the laid down rules of the main opposition party.
In an interview with the Punch, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, called on the party leaders and stakeholders to ignore the crisis and work for the progress of the party.
Ologunagba also admonished the warring factions to “focus on the big picture rather than the little picture.”
However, a socio-political group, the One Nigeria Movement (ONM) has said that it was uncharitable and the height of arrogance for Ayu to describe those calling for his resignation as people who were children when the party was being formed.
Reacting in a statement on Wednesday, the group said it was funny that the same Ayu, who abandoned the PDP for the Action Congress (AC) in 2007 and worked against the PDP can still refer to himself as the founding father of the party.
According to the group’s Convener General, Ahmed Sodiq-Mugoro and Secretary, Babatunde Aliyu, Ayu is like a father who left his house and abandoned his children only to come back years after to claim authority over the house that the children he abandoned prevented from collapsing.