A Peoples Democratic Party Chairmanship hopeful, Terhile Utaan, on Wednesday, dismissed claims of being instrumental in the removal of the party’s former National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
Utaan said his decision to drag Ayu to court was his way of saving the PDP, stressing that it was a great sacrifice.
Shortly after the PDP presidential primary that produced Atiku Abubakar as its candidate in 2023, the party became engulfed in a crisis.
Then Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and the G-5 governors had demanded Ayu’s removal for superintending over Atiku’s emergence as candidate.
The group had insisted that the North could not produce a presidential candidate and National Chairman at the same time, urging Ayu to step aside.
The matter regarding Ayu’s stay in office was taken to court and he was eventually removed as PDP National Chairman.
However, addressing journalists after he consulted with leaders of PDP from the Tiv ethnic group on his move for the position of PDP Chairman, Utaan explained that the party was in total confusion when the Ijorov council ward claimed to have suspended Ayu.
He said, “I did not remove Dr Iyorchia Ayu. You all know there was a lot of confusion when he was suspended by his Ijorov council ward because he said he was not removed and the ward chairman said he was removed.
“It was in the light of this confusion that I went to court to seek interpretation of what the constitution of PDP says. So, what I did was courageous and it was an intervention to save the soul of the party.
“My going to court was a sacrifice to salvage PDP.”
Utaan stated that his agenda was to unite the party to be able to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressive Congress.
“I am coming out to provide intervention to the party and if I emerge my immediate task is to unify the party because the party has lost its soul.
“We must return power to the people and we can only do that if we unify the party and bring our leaders back to the table.”
I didn’t remove Iyorchia Ayu as Nat’l chair but saved PDP – Utaan
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