Kola Ologbondiyan, the former National Publicity Secretary of the party, has dispelled rumours that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State will work against the interest of the party and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in 2023.
Ologbondiyan, during an interview with AriseTV on Wednesday, expressed confidence that Nyesom Wike would work for the victory of the party in the upcoming polls.
There have been reported factionalisation within the PDP ranks with stakeholders loyal to the Rivers State Governor insistent on the resignation of the National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu before any truce talks.
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The calls for Ayu’s resignation was based on the grounds that the party’s presidential candidate and the national chairman cannot be from the same region
However, Ayu rejected any resignation talks through a statement issued by his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswana who said, “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.”
There have also been fears that the Rivers State governor may dump the party for the APC, given his recent hobnobbing with members of the ruling party, whom he has even invited to his state to commission projects.
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In his statement during the interview on Wednesday, Ologbondiyan claimed ignorance about any such agreement regarding Ayu’s resignation, in the eventuality of a Northern candidacy.
He said, “I am not aware of any agreement regarding any resignation in case a Northern candidate emerges but he said if the party asks him to leave, he will leave as a democrat but the question is, the party has not said anything.
“We have to consider these various caveats; he has said he will leave but contingent on the party’s mandate. Those who are agitating know the process to go through in order to resolve these grievances.
“But I believe that Gov Wike will work for the PDP ahead of the 2023 elections and he is at liberty to associate with whomever he wants and until he picks an APC membership card, I can say there was no issue.”