The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has told party loyalists and Nigerians that the party will return 25 or more governors during the 2023 general elections as it used to in the past.

Ayu was speaking after a closed-door meeting with the party’s governorship candidates from the 34 states across the country on Wednesday at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to Ayu, the governorship candidates met with some members of the National Working Committee to express their concerns in their various states on the efforts they were making to win elections in their states.

“The candidates came and express their concerns in their various states. Briefed us on the efforts they are making in their various states to win the elections.

“We want to return about 25 state governors or more as we used to have. So the mood in the party is excellent.

“We are very determined that we don’t just win at the national level, states and national assemblies, and state governorship, we want to return about 25 state governors or more as we used to have. So the mood in the party is excellent.”

The meeting came amid leadership crisis in the party where pressure was been mounted on Ayu to step aside as one of the conditions for reconciliation, according to the camp of the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

Wike’s camp has been angered by the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, who overlooked the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, as his running mate for the 2023 elections, nominating the Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa.

However, the national chairman of the party, reacted to those calling for his resignation, saying he was elected for a four-year tenure and would not resign till the end of his tenure.

The PUNCH had reported how Wike’s clique met with the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the United Kingdom, on Tuesday, which raised more questions than answers.

The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, while speaking at the end of the meeting, stated that the governorship candidates were coming together to discuss the party’s issues.

“The candidates are coming together, uniting the party, and to discuss, even, the issues of reconciliation.”