The fracas within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set the polity aflame with some analysts predicting an imminent loss for the party in the 2023 elections.
But the former national publicity secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, has dispelled such notions.
Ologbondiyan, during an interview with AriseTV, Wednesday, expressed confidence that the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, would work for the victory of the party in the upcoming polls.
There has been reported factionalisation within the PDP ranks with stakeholders loyal to the Rivers state governor insisting on the resignation of the national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, before any truce talks.
The calls for Ayu’s resignation was based on the grounds that the party’s presidential candidate and the national chairman cannot be from the same region.
However, Ayu rejected any resignation talks through a statement issued by his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswana, who said, “We restate, therefore, that the PDP national chairman has not resigned and has no plan of resigning. For clarity and emphasis, he was elected for tenure of four years.”
In his statement during the interview, Wednesday, Ologbondiyan claimed ignorance about any such agreement regarding Ayu’s resignation, in the eventuality of a northern candidacy.
He said, “I am not aware of any agreement regarding any resignation in case a Northern candidate emerges. But he said if the party asks him to leave, he will leave as a democrat. The party has not said anything.
“We have to consider these various caveats; he had said he will leave but contingent on the party’s mandate. Those who are agitating know the process to go through in order to resolve these grievances.
“But I believe that Governor Wike will work for the PDP ahead of the 2023 elections and he is at liberty to associate with whomever he wants and until he picks an APC membership card, I can say there was no issue.”
