A socio-political group, the One Nigeria Movement, has described the remarks attributed to the national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Iyiorchia Ayu as a sign of arrogance, instead of statements of a true leader.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the group’s Convener-General, Ahmed Sodiq-Mugoro; and Secretary, Babatunde Aliyu, on Wednesday.
The group also berated Ayu, whom it said abandoned the PDP for the Action Congress in 2007 and worked against the PDP as yet still referred to himself as a founding father of the party.
Expressing similar sentiments, a PDP chieftain and former member of the House of Representatives, Ogbonna Nwuke, said Ayu is not looking at “the bigger picture.’’
Nwuke as reported by Punch Newspapers was quoted to have said that “I think Ayu is not looking at the bigger picture. First, let’s even look at his euphemism of children, according to him. I am certain that Ayu knows that anyone who has gone above the age of 18 is an adult in this country. Our constitution says so.
“And then men are holding responsibilities, men are performing in their offices. Men are holding strong in the interest of this nation. And the best Ayu can do is to refer to them as children. I think it is very unfortunate. Even his own son who is beyond 23, 30 years as the case may be; Ayu cannot speak to him like that, because such a person is an adult and is accountable to himself.”
Meanwhile, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, admonished the party leaders and stakeholders to ignore the crisis and “focus on the big picture rather than the little picture.”