According to Mr Charles Aniagwu, Spokesman for the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, sacking the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, would have exacerbated the party’s crisis.
Aniagwu stated this on Saturday in an Asaba-watched television program, while explaining why the PDP was looking into other options to resolve its current crisis.
He stated that the PDP, as a listening party, was taking a second look at the issues in light of what was permissible under the party’s laws.
Aniagwu stated that sacking Ayu would cause a constitutional crisis for the party, which would exacerbate the party’s current problems.
According to him, events following the National Executive Committee’s vote of confidence have overtaken the suggestion that the National Chairman step down (NEC).
“People may misinterpret it as calling certain stakeholders’ bluff, but that is far from the case because the party leadership examined the issues in light of the provisions of the party’s constitution as amended in 2017.”
“According to the constitution, there are principal officers known as the National Working Committee, which is led by the National Chairman. The Deputy National Chairman, who must also be from the same zone as the National Chairman, is next in line in the hierarchy.
“The National Secretary is third in line; when you look at these positions, the National Chairman is from the North, and the second in command is also from the North due to a provision in the party’s constitution.”
“According to Section 45 of the party’s constitution, in the event of the National Chairman’s removal or resignation, the National Deputy Chairman takes over and acts in that position until the party is able to organize another election.”
“Alternatively, the party will call a meeting of the NEC to decide how to rearrange the party’s hierarchy,” he said.
Aniagwu went on to say that because the positions were elective, even if Ayu stepped down so that the National Chairmanship seat could be given to the South, the provisions of the party’s constitution would be violated.
“By law, a southerner can only become National Chairman if we also remove the party’s Deputy National Chairman, on whom the lot immediately falls.”
“Even if the party is able to solve that puzzle by bringing both the National Chairman and Deputy to the South, the National Secretary – Sen. Samuel Anyanwu from Imo – is the third person in the party’s hierarchy of the National Working Committee.”
“Now, if you decide to relocate these two positions to the South, have you also planned to relocate the National Secretary to the North?”
“Because of these legal impediments, the party examined it and concluded that, with only about six months until the general elections, it was likely to snowball into some form of crisis within the party.”
“The party felt that if we proceeded with these changes, we risked falling into a crisis worse than the one we are currently experiencing.”
“The party’s leadership is intelligent enough, and I am pleased that Gov. Nyesom Wike and other leaders recognize the need for the party as a whole to move into the 2023 general elections,” he said.
He stated that the party considered various options, which resulted in the resignation of Sen. Walid Jibrin and the election of Sen. Adolphus Wagbara as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
“In the interim, the emergence of Wagbara in the south to join the Vice Presidential candidate and National Secretary had created some form of balance.”
“But the most important thing is that there is a bigger elephant here, and that is winning the 2023 general elections because Nigerians are looking up to the PDP to save the country from where we are now.”
“I am confident that our leaders, who have long desired these changes, will appreciate the fact that the party is paying attention.”
“But, because of time, we can probably proceed to make some of these alterations that may not be detrimental to our quest to win the general elections in 2023, by the grace of God,” Aniagwu said. (NAN)
