Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Dele Momodu has said the party’s presidential flagbearer, Abubakar Atiku, cannot unilaterally remove the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

Momodu made this known on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television.

The Guardian yesterday reported that a group of PDP members, led by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, insisted that the party’s National Chairman must resign otherwise they vowed not to participate in the Atiku campaign committee during the 2023 elections.

Momodu reacting to this development said those calling on Atiku to unilaterally remove Ayu from his position as the party’s National Chairman were being unfair to the former Vice President.

“My own worry is that we seem to the putting so much pressure on Atiku Abubakar like he can unilaterally remove the chairman of the party,” Monodu said

“Even If he (Atiku) should do that, a lot of us will feel vilified. He cannot do it (remove Ayu) and all he can do is speak with Dr. Ayu and we don’t know what is going on between all of them.”

The PDP chieftain said; “I know nobody will want to be seen in that light. Like anytime Governor Wike says you must go, you must go. It is a psychological thing as well for the party. It doesn’t work that way.

“Some of these things we have discussed privately with some of our party members and we believe that nobody should attempt to make our candidate look so weak or like someone that just can be pushed around.

“I mean, can I go to Governor Wike’s state and just tell him to go and sack the state’s party chairman? He doesn’t have the power to do so. It can’t happen. So, that is my position,” he said

Momodu however added that Governor Wike and his camp have the right to leave the party adding that the decision to support another candidate will be political suicide.

“I want to publicly appeal to them again. If they decide to go, it’s within their rights. Nobody can stop any grown man from making a decision,” Momodu said.

“If their decision is to throw their support behind a candidate of another party, it is fine. But honestly, this my opinion, it will be political suicide. That’s the truth because they have so much at stake.”

[GuardianNg]