Crisis: PDP should stand by rule of law — Diaspora group

The Atiku Diaspora Support Group has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gladiators to allow rule of law prevail over sentiments in order to resolve the crisis rocking the party.

The group, which is in support of the party’s Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, expressed the view in a statement made available in Lagos on Friday

Recall that the PDP G5 Governors led by Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers have been clamoring for the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, since its presidential ticket was won by Abubakar, a northerner.

The aggrieved governors have maintained that Ayu must resign for the sake of fairness and justice so as to bring peace to the party.

They insist that southern Nigeria should produce the party’s national chairman since its presidential flag-bearer for the 2023 general election is from the North.

Other governors in the group are Samuel Ortom of Benue, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.

Reacting to the lingering PDP crisis in the statement, Chief Franklin Ekechukwu, the founder of the diaspora group, called on the aggrieved gladiators to sheathe their swords and allow rule of law and democratic principles the party was known for to prevail.

According to him, the party must be seen to stand by the rule of law with regards to the calls for Ayu’s removal.

He said: “The problem I have with some Nigerians is that they prefer to sacrifice the constitution or bye-law to accommodate wrongdoing.

“They will overlook what is right and pretend it doesn’t exist until the situation becomes worse, then they begin to point fingers and blame someone.

“Ayu was constitutionally elected as chairman, why should he sacrifice his seat as chairman to satisfy certain group in the name of equity?

“Will it be justice served if he steps down now, knowing quite well that it will disrupt the stability of the party?”

Ekechukwu said that the PDP G 5 Governors and others aggrieved should understand that lives of Nigerian people and need to rescue them should be uppermost now.

“We have to be very mindful in the approach we want to take to fixing the country.

“Things cannot be done as before, we will need to have leaders that have the courage to withstand the pressure of individuals wanting to have their way regardless of the situation, not minding the laws or precedence that are being broken.

“What the G 5 Governors are doing is a test in which Atiku Abubakar has passed with a flying colours. He has shown character that no one will subvert the law and push him around to comply with their will.

“We must at all times follow the constitution and bye-law/rule of law to begin to fix Nigeria.

“Nigerians need to learn to stick to the decisions made regardless of who is being offended. By doing so, we begin anew,” he said.

According to him, a situation where every one is king, no one follows the law, party stakeholders behave as owners and commander in chief, everyone wants to have his or her way, there is no order and centre does not hold, has to stop at some point in the party.

He said that party interest should be put above personal interests and ego for the party to return to power.

“At this time of the campaign, any excuses of the five governors should have been abandoned to be resolved after the election, also any aggrieved PDP should have shielded their swords and aligned themselves with the presidential candidate.

“This is how it is done everywhere in the world, no one gets their way 100%, until after the campaign is won,” he said.

Ekechukwu expressed confidence that the PDP leaders had the ability to resolve the issues plaguing the party, and they would, but said he was tired of the commentary of outsiders.

He said that anyone still supporting the G5 Governors and not making 100 per cent effort toward PDP winning the 2023 election was not putting the party and Nigeria first.

Decrying challenges facing Nigeria, Ekechukwu said that Abubakar had the ability to rescue the country and proffer solutions to her problems.

“It is time to unite and fix Nigeria. Now is not the time to play politics, now is the time to rescue Nigeria, solve real problems and put Nigeria back to the trajectory of progress and prosperity,”Ekechukwu said.