Ayu: PDP’s Undertaker

After a close study of the results of the 2023 general elections that was held across Nigeria, it is safe to say the People’s Democratic Party has experienced its greatest defeat in the history of the country. From the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, struggling to come second in the February 25 election, to most PDP candidates losing in states that were once considered as their stronghold.

PDP in the last Saturday gubernatorial elections lost Sokoto and Benue states to the ruling All Progressives Congress. The party also forfeited several seats to other political parties in the State House of Assembly, especially in the Southeast, where the ‘Obidient’ tsunami swept through. In the ongoing collation of results, the PDP has bitten its finger in regret following the disarray that shrank their chances at the polls.

The National Chairman of PDP, Dr Iyiorcha Ayu, has been widely blamed for the crisis that rocked the opposition party and robbed it of multiple victories during the recently-concluded elections in Nigeria. Ayu, undoubtedly met PDP in a better form than the party’s present position, caused by his avoidable confrontation with the G-5 governors led by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. Other members of the G-5 governors include Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo State), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State), Samuel Ortom (Benue State) and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State.

The popular G-5 governors fell out with their presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over the refusal of Ayu to relinquish his position to a southerner. Ayu was elected the party’s leader on December 10, 2021. Owing to the fact that the party chairman is from the same region with the presidential candidate, the aggrieved governors, who are mainly from the southern part of the country, demanded that Ayu step down for a southerner in exchange for their support.

During an interview after his emergence as the pilot of PDP, Ayu was quoted to have said, “Luckily, party positions are not tied to the position of executive and legislative positions. However, I’m a very democratic person and I will do everything to promote the interest and image of my party. If the PDP says I should step down after a presidential candidate emerges and happens to be from the North, I will be very glad to do so because what we want is to take over the government and run the government in the interest of Nigerians. So, I’ll sacrifice anything to ensure that my party wins.”

However, the party chairman refused to budge for the aggrieved governors, who didn’t mince words to demand that he lay down his authority. The issue divided the party into two warring groups, with all fence-mending meetings ending in disunity. All demands by the G-5 governors were not met forcing Ayu to cut his losses with them and move on with the birds at hand.

Although the aggrieved governors did not unanimously give their support to any candidate, there were pockets of body language that showed individual support for one presidential candidate or the other.

This last outing has been the worst for the former ruling party since it was founded in 1998.