PDP Crisis: Wike Challenges Iyorchia Ayu To Stop Political Ambition Of His Loyalists

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has dared the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu who threatened to stop the political ambitions of those calling for his resignation.

Wike Challenges Ayu

KanyiDaily recalls that Wike and his allies including Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, had vowed not to participate in the PDP presidential campaign until Ayu steps down from his position.

But while addressing his supporters in Benue, Ayu said has the power to stop any candidate, noting that he didn’t work against those demanding his resignation because he wanted peace in the party.

Reacting to the statement at his private residence in Port Harcourt, Wike challenged Ayu to stop any party member including his loyalists from contesting in the 2023 elections.

Wike said Ayu’s comment is further damage to the image of the PDP which should be gaining the trust and confidence of the public to rescue Nigeria.

“I dare the national chairman of PDP to stop any contestant for the election. I dare Ayu to stop any PDP candidate from contesting the election. He doesn’t have the power,” Wike said.

“He has now come into the office, seen money, seen power, now he can open his mouth to say he could have stopped Ortom. And he said he can also stop any contestant now. We dare him. I dare Ayu to stop any contestant if he has what it takes.

“Why is he (Ayu) not resigning? He is hoping Nigerians would donate money to the party so he would again superintend over that money. He has already finished over N11 billion party primaries money. Account for it, he says the public should go into the account. We say show us the money. Print the account of PDP, and let the world see how you expended the money.

“This is the party all of us have laboured to take over power from ruling All Progressives Congress that has done badly. Then the national chairman would open his mouth to talk about stopping contestants.

“Ayu shouldn’t dare. He knows he can’t do it, knows he has no such power. He is just playing to the gallery. He tried it in Rivers state, came to manipulate, and tried to put some guber aspirants, but we saw the results. We dealt with him.”

Wike reiterated that the calls for Ayu to quit the post are based on the need for inclusiveness and also for the national chairman to fulfill his promise.

“For you to be sacked there are procedures to follow. Nobody has said you are sacked. We are saying if at this point you’re a national chairman who has told Nigerians that this is what you do if that happens and you’re running away from doing that, how do you think Nigerians will now believe you if you tell them to vote for your party?” the governor asked.

“If you say you will not honour or keep to integrity, we have no problem with that thing that is giving you confidence. What we are saying is that we want our party to win, but if you think you can do without keeping to promises you have made, so be it. Saying nobody can sack him tells you the impunity in him.”

He accused Ayu of being ungrateful to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.

Wike said, “I heard when he said he could have stopped Ortom from running for election. You see how ungrateful human beings can be. This was the same Governor Ortom who pleaded with us to say I can take the risk of letting Ayu become national chairman, without being greedy.

“The agreement by PDP governors was that no national chairman should come from where a governor comes from. We agreed on that, but Ortom came. And as a man we respect, he said I want to promote my people in national politics. We said okay, on your honour we let him (Ayu) be.

“This is a man who never campaigned anywhere, never printed a poster to be national chairman. Even money they gave him to print posters, he never printed any. And he (Ayu) is the one saying if he wanted to stop who brought him, a man who stood as a guarantor for him, he could have done so.”

KanyiDaily recalls that Governor Nyesom Wike had also accused Iyorchia Ayu of manipulating the PDP’s presidential primary held in May.