Iyorchia Ayu, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, will begin a 14-day trip to Europe today (Wednesday).

Mr Ayu’s media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday. He did not mention the reason for the trip, but the PDP leader is expected back in Nigeria by the end of September.

“While away, the party deputy chairman (North), Amb. Iliya Damagun, will act in Ayu’s place. Already, the national chairman has communicated the handover to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the statement explained.

The PDP’s National Executive Council (NEC) passed a vote of confidence in Mr Ayu on September 8 amidst calls for his resignation by some aggrieved party members.

Three hundred ninety-seven members of the NEC, including past national chairmen of the party, ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo, and the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, were accredited for the meeting.

All the 397 members of the NEC present at the meeting voted in support of Mr Ayu to continue as the PDP chair.

The acting board of trustees chairman and former Senate President Adolphus Wabara had put it to a voice vote after the House Minority Leader moved a motion for committee members to continue to have Mr Ayu as the party’s chairman.

Meanwhile, at the party’s NEC meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, the party further reposed its confidence in Mr Ayu. 

(NAN)