Divine Nwakanma
National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Iyrochia Ayu, has denied claims by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, that he (Ayu) collected N1billion from a presidential aspirant of the party in Lagos State.
Ayu, who stated this on Friday after a lengthy PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting, also denied claims by the Rivers State governor that he collected monies from some governors for a new facility to used as the People’s Democratic Institute (PDI).
Ayu, who noted that he deliberately refused to respond to the claims by Governor Wike, said he had to respond now because Wike dragged his family into the matter.
He said: “At no time did I as national chairman collect N1billion from anybody.”
Wike had accused Ayu of collecting two billion from a politician in Lagos. He also accused Ayu of collecting N100m from a governor.
The Rivers State governor made the allegation during a media chat on Friday in Port Harcourt where he also threatened to reveal more “if pushed to the wall”.
“Let me also tell you, Ayu collected N100m from a governor,” he claimed, stressing that the PDP chieftain cannot deny the allegation.
“I am telling you of a governor. Let him (Ayu) say no that it was not true and I will tell you the governor. These are things people don’t know,” Wike added.
“If not for the love of this party, if we release what we have, Ayu’s children will tell him that ‘You are no longer our daddy’”.
According to Wike, he is not afraid of the party’s chairman, saying Ayu cannot influence the people of Rivers State on whom to vote for in next year’s general election.
“He does not have the capacity to do that,” he said. “So, why I am going to be afraid of him?”
Wike maintained that Ayu should resign his position as the chairman of the PDP, claiming the party chieftain made the pledge that he would do so if the presidential candidate comes from the north (same region as Ayu).
“We have not done primary and a man came out and said if the presidential candidate comes from my region, I will leave. Honour it. It is integrity and part of the hallmark of leadership,” he noted.
“If he cannot do that, how can you tell Nigerians that anything the PDP tells you, we would do it?”