Why Ayu can’t be forced to resign now, Atiku replies Wike, others

A former vice president who is presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said it would be difficult to ask the National Chairman of the party to resign now as being demanded by some stakeholders in the party.

Reacting to the demand of the Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde that Ayu must resign his position for any peace talk on Wednesday, Atiku said the party must change its decision for that to happen.

Makinde and the Rivers State governors, Nyesom Wike and other governors have opposed the national chairmanship of the PDP remaining in the North after the presidential candidate of the party emerged from the North.

Speaking at an interactive forum with PDP stakeholders in the South West held in Ibadan on Wednesday, where Atiku was present, Makinde had said the position of the South West PDP was that Ayu must resign.

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But in reply, Atiku said, “Only if the PDP constitution is amended.

“The calls for the resignation of the national chairman or any national officer can only be achieved through the party’s constitution. The party’s constitution can only be amended to make it possible.

“We cannot do anything outside our constitution except it is amended, we cannot do anything unless the laws are amended, Ayu must go through our constitution, rules, regulations, and our practice, otherwise, we cannot give the kind of leadership Nigerians want.

“It is possible, it is achievable, we have done it before and we have started doing it.

“When I was the Vice President, we took over the South West except for Lagos State. I don’t want us to lose focus, the focus is how to win the 2023 elections. I know that we are capable, we can do that.”