BY AUGUSTINE AVWODE
A former Senate President and minister, Iyorchia Ayu, has emerged as North’s consensus candidate for the post of the national chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. His emergence brings to an end the intrigues and suspense which had fueled speculations that the October 30 -31 Convention of the party might not hold.
Ayu hails from North Central State of Benue and he will be ratified as national chairman at the national convention to hold in Abuja at the end of the month.
PDP leaders from the 19 states that make up Northern Nigeria, had converged on the Bauchi Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro and ratified the adoption of Ayu as the northern region’s consensus candidate.
It was learnt that Ayu was presented to the entire North by the leaders of the party from the North Central zone, following his unanimous adoption on Tuesday at the Benue Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, as the north central zone’s candidate.
He reportedly assured stakeholders that he would run a purposeful party, saying “PDP belongs to all, not one man.”
The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the PDP had zoned the position of National Chairman to the North apart from endorsing the decision of the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi –led zoning committee which recommended that the current National Working Committee, NWC, positions be swapped between the North and the South.
