Atiku: I want Ayu as PDP chairman – Ortom opposes Wike

Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom has thrown his weight behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the controversy on Iyorchia Ayu’s stay as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ortom, who is supposedly a member of the Governor Nyesom Wike camp, has declared that he wants Ayu to remain as the party chairman.

The governor has been siding with his Rivers counterpart since the party’s presidential primary in May, a development that has attracted criticisms from some quarters.

In a statement by Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, Ortom stressed that he had confidence in Ayu’s ability to lead the PDP to victory in 2023.

According to him, Ayu was elected “as the national chairman of our great party even against all odds”.

“The governor could not, therefore, turn around to work against him to be removed from office

“Governor Ortom vouched for the integrity and capacity of Dr Iyorchia Ayu to lead and rebuild the PDP to victory and rescue Nigeria from the misrule of the APC maladministration.

“That is why Ayu was returned unopposed by the northern caucus of the party and got elected as the national chairman of the PDP at the party’s convention.”