Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike celebrated the removal and replacement of the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) National Party Iyorchia Ayu.
Recall that Omar Damagum was announced on Tuesday as Ayu’s replacement on an interim basis.
This comes just two days after the PDP Executive Committee in Igyorov Ward, Gboko Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State suspended the former President with immediate effect.
Ayu was embroiled in a bitter feud with senior members of the PDP led by five governors identified as G5:
Wike, Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).
With the appearance of PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in the party primaries in May 2022, the G5 refused to campaign unless Ayu stepped down. The confrontation culminated with the party’s defeat in the February 25 presidential election.
Moments after Ayu’s withdrawal went public, Wike celebrated the failure of the operation of the Trans-Kalabari Expressway Phase 1, Degema Local Government Area (LGA), Rivers State.
The governor also warned those excited about the emergence of a new governor in Rivers that he is still in charge until May 29.
“So, if you do anything, I’ll pepper you,” he added. “You see how I peppered them now? Are they not the ones suffering it now? Ayu said nobody can suspend him, but today he has packed up from the office,” Wike said.
“We have an acting chairman now. I told him, ‘You will go. Whether you like it or not, you will go.’ Those lawyers telling you that the ward has no power to suspend you, that it’s only NEC, then you don’t understand.
“When you came, it was the ward that suspended Secondus and you went and took office. It is now that you know that it’s only NEC. Let me tell you, since they’ve not told you, the courts have struck off that section out of our constitution to say ‘NEC only.’”
