*Alleges Ayu collected N1b from a Presidential Aspirant’s Associates in Lagos
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Governor Nyesom Wike has dared the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to suspend him from the party for daring to agitate for equity and justice in the party and wait for what he is capable of doing.
” I dare them to suspend me today. They cannot try it because they know what I can do. If a child says his mother will not sleep, he too will not sleep.”
Wike accused the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP Atiku Abubakar and National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu of arrogance, thereby deepening crisis in the party ahead of elections.
He also said that despite the persistent calls by his camp that Ayu should resign and honour their earlier pledge that since Atiku Abubakar had won, he would resign to pave way for equity and inclusiveness in the party Atiku and Ayu refused to honour their pledge.
Governor Wike also accused Ayu of being fantastically corrupt, alleging that one of the Presidential Aspirants gifted Ayu N1 billion in Lagos.
He dared Ayu to deny it, he will reveal the names of those who paid the money and those that contributed it.
Wike made the allegations on a live television interview programme in Government House Port Harcourt today.
“Ayu is very very corrupt. Ayu collected N1 billion from one of the presidential aspirants in Lagos and the money did not enter the account of the PDP. Let him deny it and I will reveal more. I challenge him.” Governor Wike alleged.
He argued that the Presidential Candidate and National Chairman of the party are not serious about winning the 2023 election with the crisis they have created.
He regretted that the All Progressives Congress, APC, which the PDP want to upstage kept to their zoning arrangements and zoned their Presidential position to the Southern part of Nigeria, while the reverse is the case for his party.
Wike said Prince Uche Secondus, a Southerner was removed as National Chairman from the party based on the agreement of the Southern Governors that the Presidential Candidate should come from the South, while the National Chairmanship position should come from the North.
“We warned that if this agreement is not adhered to, the problem will resonate and cause a crisis. In 2019 we agreed that the Presidency should come from the North but we lost. No state contributed more than Rivers. Ahead of the Primaries, they said we should throw away zoning that the best candidate should win. Suddenly, they started selling forms.”
He described an unfortunate scenario and lack of seriousness where a national Chairman, Presidential Candidate and the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign come from the North.
” I won’t conclude that Atiku and Ayu are not trustworthy now. But Nigerians are watching if they show integrity. You don’t say because Nigerians are not happy with the APC government so we do and behave anyhow”