Newly elected Nelson Mandela Bay African National Congress (ANC) chairperson Andile Lungisa has resigned from his position with immediate effect.

This follows the ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting over the weekend, where the party reiterated calls for Lungisa to step down.

In a press conference on Monday, regional executive committee (REC) secretary Themba Xathula said the decision had been made after meeting with various structures, including the REC, NEC and provincial executive committee (PEC).

The deputy chairperson would take over and act in the position until a new chair was elected, Xathula said.

"As the REC, we have taken a conscious decision to support Lungisa for the position of secretary in the forthcoming elections in July," Xathula said.

Andile Lungisa has been chairperson for two weeks, despite a directive from party general secretary Gwede Mantashe, forbidding him from running for the position.

This is because Lungisa is a member of the party’s PEC.

Last week, the provincial structures gave a defiant Lungisa until March 24, to resign, but he appealed to the national structures to deal with the issue.

Now, Lungisa is set to run for a position in the party’s provincial elective congress in June.

Lungisa stepping down is a victory for Mantashe, who has maintained that he could not legally stand for the position in terms of the ANC's rules.

Lungisa’s victory was endorsed by President Jacob Zuma, who was then reigned in by the party’s top six.