Ayu dismisses resignation reports, insists on finishing tenure as PDP national chairman

National Chairman of the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, has denied resignation rumour making the rounds, as he further insisted he is focused on finishing his four-year tenure I the position.

A statement made through his media aide, Mr Simon Imobo-Tswana, Monday, followed reports widely spread in the media claiming that the Benue-born politician had caved in to mounting pressures to resign his position.

It would be recalled that chieftains of the PDP had been clamouring for the resignation of Ayu for allegedly orchestrating the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the party’s Presidential candidate I nthe 2023 General Election, despite the ticket meant for the southern zone.

In addition, the group had also based their argument on the unconstitutionality of Ayu’s continued stay considering that the Presidential slot is now being held by a candidate from the north. According to the group, the two positions cannot be occupied by the same zone in the country.

Responding to the rumoured resignation of Ayu, his spokesperson Imobo-Tswam made the clarification in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

“We restate, therefore, that the PDP National Chairman has not resigned and has no plan of resigning. For clarity and emphasis, he was elected for a tenure of four years.

“Sections 45 and 47 of the PDP Constitution are clear on the removal and/or resignation of the National Chairman.

“Those who don’t know this should get copies of the party’s Constitution for more information on the matter.

“PDP members and the general public are advised to ignore any story of such a phantom resignation,” he said.

According to him, the stories purporting that Ayu has resigned, with his resignation letter in hands of a former Senate President, David Mark, is false, and that members of the public should disregard it.

Imobo-Tswam said that with all emphasis, the story was, in its entirety, false, baseless, reckless, inaccurate and a complete work of fiction.

“If there is such a resignation, it exists only in the imagination of those who have made themselves available for hatchet jobs,” he said.

According to Imobo-Tswam, if Ayu had resigned, he would give his resignation letter to the Deputy Chairman (North) and not Mark, adding Section 45 (I and ii) of the party’s Constitution was clear on that.

“So, where does Mark comes in here, being that he is not even a member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

“It appears that those who have been procured to blackmail the national chairman out of office are not even aware of what the party’s Constitution says about the matter.

“We are shocked that such reckless, vicious, mischievous and fabricated falsehood can find prime space in the mainstream media.

“But, even more shocking is the fact that otherwise respected media houses have made themselves easy platforms for unscrupulous people to peddle falsehood and run smear campaigns,” he alleged.

Imobo-Tswam emphasised that the national chairman, “is on a crucial assignment to lead the PDP on a historic rescue mission comes February 2023.

“And, he will not be deterred or distracted by media terrorism or political blackmail.