UPDATED! Iyorchia Ayu Emerges PDP Chairman

A former President of the Senate, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has emerged as the new National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Channels News reports that Senator Ayu, a consensus candidate for the position, took over the leadership of the main opposition party alongside 20 others elected into various positions within the PDP National Working Committee.

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The new set of leaders were elected at the party’s national convention which began on Saturday and lasted till the early morning of Sunday.

Hundreds of party delegates participated in the election of the new national officers at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

Meanwhile, Agu did not give an acceptance speech at the PDP National Convention and was not sworn-in into office as has been the tradition of the party.

Authoritative sources at the Convention told ait.live that Ayu and the other newly elected PDP national officials will be sworn-in on a later date expectedly in December at end of tenure of the suspended National Chairman, Uche Secondus.

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This follows the threat by Secondus to head to the Supreme Court after losing the bid at Court of Appeal to stop the PDP National Convention over his suspension from office and membership of party.

The move by the party is seen as strategic to avoid a crisis situation if the apex court rules that the ouster of Secondus is illegal and a violation of the PDP Constitution.

The tenure of Secondus as National Chairman of the party will formally come to an end in December 2021 when his successor can formally assume office.