The National Executive Council of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has ignored the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, by passing a vote of confidence in the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

The Rivers State Governor had, following the resignation of the Board of Trustees Chairman of the Party, Jubrin Walid, Thursday, insisted that Ayu and not Jubrin, should vacate his seat.

The vote of confidence is an indication that the National Chairman of the Party will not be stepping down any time soon.

A total of 397 members of the NEC including past national chairmen of the party, the immediate past Vice President of the country, Namadi Sambo, the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar among others were reportedly accredited for the meeting.

All the 397 members of the NEC present at the meeting voted in support of Ayu to continue as the chairman of the party.

The acting Board of Trustees Chairman and a former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, had put it to a voice vote after the House Minority Leader moved a motion for members of the committee to continue to have him as the chairman of the party.

Wike had described the resignation of the Board of Trustees chairman as inconsequential to the clamour by his team for justice, equity and fairness in the party.

He described the BoT as advisory and not a decision-making body, saying the Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, must vacate his position.

The BoT Chairman, resigned his position earlier before the NEC meeting on Thursday, saying he was ready to sacrifice his position, if such will bring peace to the party.

Walid, who has six months to the expiration of his tenure, had said that the North cannot occupied all the key positions in the party.

He had said that it is not fair for the North to occupy the position of National Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman and Chairman, PDP Governors' Forum.

The Chairman of the PDP Governor’s forum and Sokoto State Governor, Waziri Aminu Tambuwal, had also resigned his position.