‘Ayu must resign’ — northern PDP youth coalition protest in Katsina

A group identified as the Coalition of Northern Nigeria Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Movement has taken to the streets of Katsina to demand the resignation of Iyorcha Ayu as the party’s national chairman.

According to ThisDay, the protesters marched to the Katsina city gate on Sunday with placards saying “Ayu must resign”, and “PDP is not a private company”, among others.

The PDP has been in turmoil since former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar was elected as the standard bearer of the major opposition party.

The rift deepened after Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, was overlooked by Atiku in selecting his running mate.

Earlier in the week, the crisis worsened as Wike’s allies jettisoned campaign responsibilities, and insisted that Iyorchia Ayu, the party’s national chairman, must be removed.

The Rivers state governor had also accused Ayu of corrupt practices.

Speaking at the protest, Shehu Isa-Dan’Inna, the coalition’s leader, was quoted as saying Ayu must step down.

“We are calling on the national chairman to fulfil his promise. Ayu said that immediately after the convention when a northern Nigerian emerged as the PDP flag bearer he was going to step down,” he said.

“But for almost six months now, Ayu did not vacate the secretariat, that is why we are calling on Mr. Ayu, as a gentleman and responsible person to step down and stop calling himself the PDP national chairman.

“PDP is not a Northern Peoples Democratic Party nor Southern Peoples Democratic Party, we have to be just and united, to enable us to win at various levels in the coming 2023 general election.”

The protest was held two days after the group converged at the PDP secretariat in Kaduna to make the same demand.