Ayu, PDP Chair, Replies Wike’s Allegations of Corruption as Party Crisis Deepens

Leadership crisis plaguing leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party is accentuating rather than abating as Governor Nyesom Wike on Friday made more allegations of corruption against the party chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

In a no holds barred interview on Friday, beamed live by major television networks in the country, Governor Wike of Rivers state upped the ante by accusing Dr. Ayu of receiving another N100 million from a serving PDP governor. This comes on the heels of an earlier allegation of receiving N1 billion from one of the party’s presidential aspirants.

Governor Wike who had since dared the PDP national chairman to dispute the allegation as untrue and he would furnish more information as to the name of the person who gave him the money in Lagos and how the money was sourced.

But, in a rebuttal on Friday, the man in the eyes of the storm, Dr. Ayu refuted the allegations describing them as untrue. He said he didn’t receive any N1 billion from any presidential aspirant while the N100 million from a Governor was a donation towards office space and furnishing of the Peoples Democratic Institute, a training and research resource outfit of the PDP.

According to Dr. Ayu, “ when the first allegation was made i.e. the N1billion – I decided not to respond because we don’t want to cause altercations in the party. However, I want to make it clear that at no time did I, as the National Chairman of @OfficialPDPNig collect any N1billion from anybody.

“The consistent attacks on my person since the end of the convention on the 31st of May are deliberate and unfortunate. I have restrained myself from reacting. As the father of the party, I felt I should encourage reconciliation.

“But where it touches on my personal integrity, of which even my own family members are brought into play, it is incumbent upon me to reply.

“So, I state that I never collected N1bn from anybody.

“Also the N100m that was donated by one of the governors has been judiciously used for the purpose it was given. And in the next few weeks, we will be inviting all party leaders, including members of the press, to come for the commissioning of the PDI.

“When we came in and the party had funding difficulties, the current presidential candidate suggested that the party should take a loan of N1bn from a bank. And the owner of that bank was also an influential member of this party. He has left the party now.

“But when we discussed with him, we discarded the idea. And the party never took any loan or any money from anybody. And I as a person never collected N1billion from anybody.

“Any money advanced to the party was declared before the National Working Committee (NWC) and handed over to the National Treasurer of the party. The party’s accounts are straight. They are up to date. And we promise to present the audited account to the public at the end of the year.

“On today’s (Friday) allegations – luckily, I had fully briefed the Board of Trustees (BoT) that one of our governors made a contribution of N100m to the revival of the Peoples Democratic Institute which was housed in a portacabin. And we explained to them that we hired an appropriate place in Asokoro; we have renovated and furnished it.

“Two or three days ago, we went there to inspect the place. And the NWC decided that even before commissioning, we should invite the Governor in question to come and inspect what we have done with his money. I am happy to state that the National Secretary of the party has since written a letter to that Governor.

“So, it is not true. Neither I nor the NWC ever took any party money to carry out the renovation. In fact, we have not even exhausted that N100m which was donated by one of the governors.”

The ball is now in Governor Wike’s court to live up to his promise and give more details on the N1 billion bribe allegation against the Party Chairman.

The crisis in the PDP started after it’s convention in Abuja, May 2022, where Alhaji Atiku Abubakar emerged as the presidential candidate of the Party. Governor Wike came second in the primaries.

Governor Wike, leading a group of four other governors have gone on to request that since the presidential candidate is from the northern part of the country (North East), the chairman of the party should vacate the position for a person from the south in deference to age long convention of the party and respect for zoning of offices entrenched in the party constitution.

This was further supported by an interview by Dr. Ayu before the convention, where he said he would step down from the position of chairman of the presidential elected at the convention is from the north.

Governor Wike and his camp in the party wants the chairman to honour his words by stepping down. But, the party considers the chairman’s stepping down as inexpedient and disruptive to its national campaign which has been kickstarted.

Both the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee, two most important organs of the party in the absence of a convention have passed a vote of confidence in Dr. Ayu urging him to proceed as chairman until after the 2023 elections.

But the Wike camp would not have any of that. Its members boycotted the NEC meeting where the matter was discussed by party members and have gone ahead to withdraw from the presidential campaign council of the party.

The Party’s Board of Trustees waded into the crisis and on Friday submitted its report. Its conclusion was to appeal to all the warring camps to sheath their swords; allow the party to continue in office till after the 2023 elections but he must give an undertaking that he would vacate office if the presidential candidate wins the 2023 election.

It is yet to be seen how the Wike’s camp would react to the BOT’s recommendation and how Governor Wike as a person would respond to Dr. Ayu’s rebuttal to his allegations of corruption.

Please follow and like us: