Ayu to travel to Europe on Wednesday, hands over to deputy

Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is scheduled to travel to Europe on Wednesday. 

Simon Imobo-Tswam, his special adviser on media, announced this in a statement issued on Tuesday. 

Imobo-Tswam said Ayu is expected to spend about two weeks abroad and has handed over to Iliya Damagun, PDP deputy chairman (north), who will oversee the affairs of the national working committee (NWC) until his return. 

“Already, the national chairman has communicated the handover to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He is expected back at month-end,” the statement reads. 

The development comes days after the PDP national executive committee (NEC) passed a vote of confidence in Ayu and the NWC, despite calls for the resignation of the party chairman.

Party members, especially those in the camp of Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, are demanding Ayu’s resignation as a condition for resolving the crisis in the party. 

The call for Ayu’s resignation is said to be on the grounds that the national chairman and the presidential candidate of the party cannot be from the same region.

But Ayu has stayed put, insisting that he won’t resign.