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More trouble for Atiku, Ayu as Gov Wike’s supporters pull out of 2023 PDP Presidential Campaign

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The crisis which has hit the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken another turn as members loyal to the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike have pulled out of the presidential campaign council of the party.

They made this know on Wednesday morning after a meeting in Port Harcourt, the Rivera State capital.

Nyesom Wike has been in the forefront of a campaign within the party to sack the national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, a campaign that has continued to threaten the chances of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Among those who attended the meeting which was held at Wike’s Port Harcourt residence, were former Governors Olusegun Mimiko, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Jonah Jang, Ayo Fayose and Donald Duke.

Read also: PDP national body moves to relegate Wike in battle to save Ayu

Other Wike loyalists who attended the stormy meeting were the PDP former Vice Chairman, South-West, Chief Bode George, former Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, former Information Minister, Prof Jerry Gana, PDP South-South Vice Chairman, Dan Orbih, as well as former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche.

The Rivers Governor has been on a warpath with the leadership of the party with his insistence that the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, must step down following the emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the party for the 2023 election, as both individuals are from the northern part of the country.

Despite efforts by the party hierarchy to mend fences, Wike and his team have been adamant on the calls for Ayu’s resignation as several reconcilatory meetings have failed to resolve the crisis.

In a communique issued at the end of the Port Harcourt meeting, and read by Bode George, the Wike team said they were pulling out of the PDP presidential campaign council pending the resignation of Ayu.

“The published presidential campaign council list translates to putting the cart before the horse, the pertinent issue remains the Ayu leadership,” the communiqué reads.

“We, therefore, resolve that Senator Iyorchia Ayu resigns as the National Chairman for an acting chairman of southern Nigeria extraction.

“We resolved not to participate in the campaign council in whatever capacity until the resignation of Dr Iyorchia Ayu.”

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