, five of the aggrieved governors, have jetted out of the country and may miss the party's rally holding in){kind=link}
Despite the intervention of the Board of Trustees (BoT) in the crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), five of the aggrieved governors, have jetted out of the country and may miss the party’s rally holding in Kaduna on Monday.
Indications have emerged that the aggrieved governors, who shunned the October 10 campaign kick-off in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, would not attend the event.
The BoT which met on Friday, had banned those involved in the crisis from making inflammatory statements and from granting press interviews.
“The BoT called on all party leaders and persons close to them to desist forthwith from making further inflammatory remarks or press interviews.
“(The BoT) called on the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum to convene a meeting of the forum without further delay.
“(The BoT) called on all leaders of the party to match words with action and where commitments are made to unconditionally fulfill same,” the board said in a communiqué signed by the acting Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara.
But that same Friday, four out of the five aggrieved governors – Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Samuel Ortom (Benue), left the country to Madrid, Spain.
Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who is among the group, is yet to travel, but he is expected to join them later.
PDP had put off its nationwide campaign which began last Monday, to pacify its aggrieved members.
Wike, who is leader of the group, said he accepted Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, as the party’s presidential candidate and running mate for next year’s election, but insisted on the sacking of the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
The governor addressed a live press conference, where he accused Ayu of collecting N100 million twice, to renovate the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI), a training arm of the PDP.
Instead of telling Ayu to honour the promise he made and step aside, the BoT “urged the National Chairman as an eminent leader, to give a firm assurance that he will resign his position after the 2023 election.”
Wike has not reacted to the BoT’s decision. It was however gathered that his group would not back down on the demand that Ayu should cede his position to a southerner.
A member of his camp, who craved anonymity, disclosed that the trip to Spain is to enable them decide the next line of action.
“He has said he will not be part of the campaign unless Ayu resigns. I don’t think this has changed.
“Yes, as a party man, he will abide by the BoT decision on press interviews but the BoT has not addressed the problem.
“The National Chairman said he will resign if a Northerner emerges as our presidential candidate, he should fulfill his promise, and not after the election,” the source argued.