Gov. Wike: “I will expose Ayu”
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, has said that the National Chairman of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, is reluctant to vacate office because he wants to preside over the sharing of N14 billion realized by the party during the sale of expression of interests and nomination forms to aspirants who contested various elective positions during the party’s primaries to produce candidates for the upcoming 2023 general elections.
Gov. Wike who made this disclosure in Port Harcourt today during the commissioning of internal roads in Omerulu community in Ikwere Local Government Area of the state, said the interest of the party should take precedence of personal interests and aspirations.
SummitNews recalls that the group loyal to governor Wike and some other members of the PDP are of the opinion that Senator Ayu who hails from the northern part of the country should cede his office to a southerner since the party’s presidential candidate, and its chairman, board of trustees, Atiku Abubakar and Walid Jibrin, respectively come from the same north.
But in a riposte, Senator Ayu said he was elected into office for a four-year tenure and, therefore, will not leave office until the expiration of his tenure. He described those rooting for his removal as ‘’children” who are not founding members of the party.
“At the appropriate time, I will tell Nigerians what Senator Ayu told us before his election as national chairman. We gave him money to print posters, but he pocketed the money, and today he is telling us that he was elected chairman.
“This is a man that was impeached as senate president. This is a man who was sacked from office during Obasanjo’s regime. This is a man who left the PDP and later returned to the party, and today he is calling those of us who remained in the party, and ensured that the party did not disintegrate children. Can you imagine that kind of display of arrogance?” queried governor Wike.
He continued: “Ayu is describing people like Bode George who salvaged the party, and who have remained in the party since 1998 as children. Ayu is being disrespectful because of the N14 billion in PDP account which will finish one day. I am surprised that a man that is inconsistent, and who ran away from the party has the audacity to describe people like Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and many others as children.
Gov. Wike said he was not afraid to fight, and will do so at the appropriate time, saying that he is sure of winning the fight.
A chieftain of the party, and guest of honour at the occasion Chief Bode George, advised those attacking Wike to desist from doing so in the interest of the party.
“Wike is a financier of the party. He is a mobilizer and actualizer. He is fighting for justice and equity,” said Chief George.
He also said that the issue of making a southerner the national chairman of the party must be resolved before the beginning of the electioneering campaigns.
“PDP is not a private company. There is no way the presidential candidate of the party, the national chairman and chairman, board of trustees will all come from the northern part of the country.
He said that the party must be united if it is interested in wresting power in 2023 from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We don’t want to have Northern Peoples Democratic Party, and Southern Peoples Democratic Party,” Chief George warned.
He called for the restructuring of the country before the present administration leaves office.
