Ebonyi State Governor and member of the ruling APC, Dave Umahi, said publicly yesterday that the sacked National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, actually worked for the President-elect Bola Tinubu, in the just concluded general election. It sounded unbelievable, especially, that many of the governors have lately become unreliable sources of information. But a few people, including this writer, believed him.
When Ayu was newly affirmed national chairman of the PDP, the news went out that an old ally of Tinubu had been made PDP chairman and that their paths had crossed at many impossible quarters, such that would make him never to work against Tinubu. Rather than look into this, the party leadership dismissed it, and Ayu soon became a liability.
Finally, when the G-5 started their movement against the party, all that Ayu needed to do then was what he had just done now to save the party in larger and collective interest. But for each time the idea was mooted or broached with him, he picked a fight. The presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, who should have enforced it since he had everything to lose, was too arrogant and overconfident to see the logic in such a simple decision.
Honestly, had the PDP yanked off Ayu and appeased the G-5, there would not have been a President-elect Tinubu, despite Peter Obi’s revolution nicknamed the OBIdient Movement, although the election would still have been testy. But they didn’t see the bigger picture, even though the way Nyesom Wike had gone about it was truly annoying and could have caused them to take a hard stand. But not at their own detriment.
However, leaving now that the ovation had gone down and infamy has taken over the stage says a lot about the capacity of some of these old men to critically look at situations and apply discretion where necessary. Ayu is a political feather weight who has added nothing to the PDP but brought her shame and reproach. Rather than make a little sacrifice for all, he sent the party into a coma.
Honestly, when you wish for something, be specific just so God is clear. Ayu was a misplaced prayer point for the PDP, and the consequences of his mistake would linger for a very long time, more so with Tinubu as president. He lacks both the wisdom and the maturity to manage anything, sadly, at old age. What a shame!