Ayu refusing to resign because of N14b in PDP account, says Wike

The crisis rocking People’s Democratic Party (PDP), deepened on Thursday, as Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, accused the party National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu of targeting the N14 billion realized from the party primaries.

Wike, who came second at the May 28 PDP Presidential primaries, stated this while reacting to a statement credited to Ayu that those calling for his resignation are “ boys”, within the party.

This is just as Bode George, a Chieftain of the party , also cautioned Ayu, adding that “Wike is only fighting for Justice, for equity and fairness in our party. He is not only a strong pillar in this party but a mobilizer, a financier and an actualizer.”

George, a former Governor of Ondo State under the military and one time National Chairman of the PDP, said it is “ an antithesis and against the norm and culture of our party that our Presidential Candidate, our National Chairman and Chairman of our Board of Trustee will come from one section of the country. Party members from the South are already feeling alienated. PDP is not a private company”.

This is also coming on the heels of a similar position held by the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Walid Jibrin who is also backing the call for Ayu’s resignation, saying that” it is unfair for the Northerner to retain the party’s Chairmanship position, following Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as the PDP presidential candidate.”

Read also: What does Wike want?

Wike, while speaking at the commissioning of some Projects in Port Harcourt, insisted that Ayu must vacate the party’s top position for peace to return.

He alleged that Ayu is targeting the N14b realized from the party primaries, but added that very soon, the money will finish.

Wike said: “The money we made from the party primaries, about 14 billion that is why he said, I won’t resign. Nothing more, just 14 billion. He wants to preside over the expenditure.

“If you like, call BBC Yoruba service, you can not take Rivers’ vote. Go and deliver your state, Benue state first. I don’t care about all those claiming they founded the party.

“You are referring to the people who salvaged the party as children because of 14 billion in the party’s account. It will finish.”

He accused Ayu of being biased in his leadership role, adding that as chairman of a party who wants to win an election, his business is to bring peace to the party and not to divide the party.

“Your business is not to show arrogance to your party. Yesterday, somebody said where were you when they founded the party? Because we insisted that the right things must be done, we are boys, we are children. You can imagine what power can do. See ingratitude and how ungrateful people can be,” the Rivers State governor said.

“But Ayu said we are children, yet the children brought you to the party. The children brought you from the gutter to make you the National Chairman of the PDP.

“Ayu, you were impeached as Senate President, Ayu you were sacked by Obasanjo’s administration. Arrogance can not take you anywhere. Now we have seen that you don’t want the party to win the election, we will help you.”