Northern elders urge cease fire over PDP crisis

A group, Northern Peoples Democratic Party Elders’ Support Group, yesterday, urged factions in the crisis rocking the main opposition party to cease fire.

It called on other elders, especially those of southern extraction, to tread cautiously and avoid activities that could hinder the party’s chances in the 2023 elections.

The group stressed the need for a peaceful way to end ongoing campaign seeking the removal of National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
National Coordinator of the northern elders, Dr. Nasiru Aliyu Sadauki, made this known in a statement, in Kaduna, following a meeting of members, stakeholders and goodwill ambassadors and presentation of a manual for support groups backing PDP presidential and vice presidential aspirants, Abubakar Atiku and Ifeanyi Okowa.

The statement reads in part: “Party leaders should face important issues of economic condition, insecurity, poverty, educational crisis and other challenges threatening Nigeria’s national unity and cohesion, rather than majoring on minor issues, like calling for removal of the chairman.

“There are issues on ground that need leaders to make sacrifice, offer solutions and relief to the public. No sensible party supporter will promote and seek Ayu’s exit at this time of expected cooperation, unity and understanding in the party.

“Nigerians are tired of such media display of arrogance by certain groups in the country. Let us face issues and rebuke or disregard any political class that is more interested in seeming public sympathy, rather than acts to help rebuild the nation.

“We wake up daily with news of unpleasant happenings in the country, especially killings, maiming and kidnapping of our fellow Nigerians, including women and children, which the All Progressives Congress-led government has failed to nip in the bud.

“To our surprise, our party is talking about ‘Ayu must go’ and ‘South will not agree,’ which are issues that could be resolved amicably behind the curtain.

“The PDP crisis is surely a setup intended to destroy every good and positive transformation of the Ayu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. Those fanning the embers of disunity to frustrate cohesion and progress of PDP are doing so to create confusion that may make Nigerians reconsider the All Progressives Congress.

“We call on PDP supporters, within and outside the country, to unite and support the leadership of the party under Ayu, to collectively rescue and rebuild our country from the ruins of APC.”