Ayu is New PDP Chairman

·      Emerges Northern Consensus Candidate

·      PDP Talks Tough about 2023

Former President of the Senate Dr. Iyorchia Ayu yesterday emerged the Consensus candidate of the North, to take over from Prince Uche Secondus as the national chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. 

Indication to this effect was given by the Governor of Adamawa State Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri while addressing the media at the end of the meeting of the northern caucus of the party, made up of party leaders from the North Central, North West and North East geo-political zones of the country.

Prior to the pronouncement, speculations had been rife, that the permutations of aspiring presidential candidates from the north could turn the chairmanship race into a fight to finish among the three candidates, Senator Ningi from the North East, former Governor of Katsina State Alhaji Ibrahim Shema from the North West and former President of the Senate Professor Iyorchia Ayu, from the North Central. 

But all the fear appeared to have gone as Fintiri, who was flanked by fellow Governors and prominent leaders of the PDP from the north, said that a consensus was reached based on the desire keep northern Nigeria united, make the PDP stronger, as well as deepen democracy in a united Nigeria. 

“There is no victor no vanquished in this meeting. We all came out united”, Fintiri remarked.

According to the Adamawa State Governor, there was no election or selection and the three candidates whom he said were all present endorsed the outcome of the meeting. 

His words: “All the candidate were here. They are qualified but through discussion and reconciliation, we have emerged with a consensus list that was endorsed by the candidates themselves. There was no election and there was no selection.

“The three candidates, in the spirit of unity, in the spirit of ensuring that the PDP is positioned to win the 2023 elections, accepted that Senator Iyorchia Ayu emerged as the consensus candidate of the north. With this we are fully prepared we are ready.” 

He said that the northern caucus would be talking to our colleagues in other parts of the country, particularly the south with a view to getting their support for the consensus candidate convention of the party billed for 30^th and 31^st October.