JUST IN: How Ayu’s Refusal To Step Down From Office Contributed To Atiku’s Loss In 2023 Election. 

The creation of the PDP G5 group marked the beginning of Atiku Abubakar’s struggle during the 2023 electioneering campaign.

 

Recall that shortly after the former vice president emerged as presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and picked Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate, Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike and four other governors teamed up to form a G5 group…The G5 group later gave rise to the integrity group which demanded for the removal of Iyorchia Ayu as national chairman, as part of their demands to support the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar.continue Reading

 

Wike and his allies were of the opinion that the presidential candidate of the party cannot come from the same region as the national chairman. So, since Atiku Abubakar has emerged, it is appropriate that Iyorchia Ayu resigned and give way for a southerner to take over.

 

The battle went on and despite the threats by Wike and his allies to distance themselves from the party’s presidential race, Ayu refused to give in to pressure, so he remained in office.

Following Ayu’s refusal to step down, Wike and his allies started shopping for the presidential candidate that they would support. Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom settled for the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi while Seyi Makinde and Wike were rumoured to have worked for the election of Bola Tinubu.

 

If Wike and Seyi Makinde had worked for Atiku Abubakar, there’s a high likelihood that Bola Tinubu would not have won in Rivers state and Oyo state respectively.

 

But, given Ayu’s refusal to step down, the PDP lost woefully in Oyo state, Rivers state and some other places like Lagos state where Bode George is from.

 

If Ayu had agreed to step down from his position as national chairman of the party, and allowed a southerner to take over, perhaps the likes of governor Nyesom Wike, Seyi Makinde and other members of the integrity group would’ve had a rethink and worked for Atiku Abubakar, giving him all the support that he would have needed continue Reading