A former lawmaker, representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye has warned against the unceremonial removal of the party National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu ahead of the 2023 Presidential election.
Melaye, who gave the warning while fielding questions from DAILY POST during the 75th birthday celebration of Senator Tunde Ogbeha said the removal of Ayu which is being championed by River State Governor, Nyesom Wike will lead to a constitutional crisis in the party.
While describing Governor Wike as a very responsible Nigerian who will soon turn 60, Melaye posited that the emergence of Ayu as PDP national Chairman was backed by PDP Governors including Wike.
He said removing Ayu is like committing abortion in PDP before the outcome of the 2023 Presidential election.
Melaye said “I was at the convention when he made an open promise before Nigerians on national television that whoever emerges as the candidate of the PDP, he will support that person. I still stand on that because he is a man of integrity and I am not seeing him eating his words.
“ So whatever misgiving you see, is as a result of the primary. It is normal that after any primary, there will be agitations and complaints but these are not elements that are strong enough to divide the party.
“We are not out for a constitutional crisis. Iyorchia Ayu is a product of all the Governors including Wike. That is why he is a consensus candidate. So asking for Ayu’s removal is uncalled for. Are they saying they didn’t know he was a Northerner before they gave him the consensus candidacy of the party? All the Governors, including Wike spent their money to make Ayu the National Chairman.
“So its too late to call for his removal when we have not even conducted an election. But if and when by the grace of God Atiku becomes the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or if he becomes President-elect, then we can now go back to the negotiation table and then treat the issue of Ayu. But for now, it is very premature and we cannot commit abortion.
When asked about the visit of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to Ibrahim Babangida, Peter Obi, and Abdulsalam Abubakar ahead of the 2023 Presidential election, the former Kogi West lawmaker described Obasanjo as a supervisor of Nigeria who is moving round to ensure that the country is fine.
He, however, boasted that former President Obasanjo will not stop Atiku from becoming the President of Nigeria.
“I wouldn’t know why Obasanjo is moving around because I don’t have celestial power to read people’s minds. But I want to tell you that no force will stop Atiku from becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” he stated.