On Friday, Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State, urged that Ayu either resigns from his post or put his ego aside and beg to keep it. (Watch Video here)
He said that the party chairman had reneged on a commitment to resign if the party nominated a Northerner for president. Ortom spoke in his opening remarks during an emergency executive council meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, the state capital. He said, "I have offered two options; it’s either you resign or plead and beg people to understand you as the national chairman." (Watch Video here)
"The national chairman told the whole world that he would resign if a northern candidate emerged. But today a northern candidate emerged, so the question I’m asking is, where is your integrity if you don’t resign? (Watch Video here)
"But there are many ways to do it; if you plead or beg, if you seek people's understanding to accept you the way you are so that we can win (the election), you have the honor to persuade them, not to say your tenure is four years and you cannot resign."
Ortom and Ayu are both from the Benue North West Senatorial District. Ortom is thought to have played a key role in Ayu's ascension to the position of National Chairman. (Watch Video here)
The governor expressed hope that, despite the party's internal problems, the PDP will remain the party to defeat in the upcoming general elections, given the dismal performance of the ruling All Progressives Congress.