Be firm, anchor 2023 politics on fairness, Ayu advised

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised its National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, against taking side with any of the presidential aspirants ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibril, gave the counsel during the maiden joint meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and the BoT, yesterday, in Abuja.

Jibril said Ayu should “not be distracted by the ambition of individual members.”

“You must keep the party as formidable as possible,” he added.

The new national chairman, the BoT chair submitted, “must run away from the tendency to pay more attention to the ambition of particular presidential or vice presidential candidates.”

He continued: “Concentrate on your duties and not more on who shall be the President, Vice President, Senate President.

“Do not take side with any individual with self-ambition and try to reduce the state of god-fatherism.”

Jibril urged Ayu to promote reconciliation at all levels of the party without allowing himself to be persuaded to support any faction.

Responding, the PDP national chair pledged to be firm in his dealings.

His words: “I personally have no personal interest. I will not be part of factions in any state. Now, we’re not encouraging factions.

“During my leadership of the party, I will try to be free, fair and make the interest of the party paramount. I believe that if we go along this route, we will be able to recapture the lost glory of the PDP.”

He advised party leaders to work with members, adding that is the only way to winning elections.

Ayu added: “I also want to say clearly that no single individual can win elections in the states. State leaders must work as a team. If you work as a team, you will win elections in your states.”

Most of the elections we have lost in PDP is because the PDP defeated PDP. That should never be encouraged. And part of the problem is because the leadership of the party sometimes take sides with certain factions.”