Group wants EFCC to quiz PDP chairman, Ayu, over Gov Wike’s N1bn bribe allegation

A socio-political group under the aegies of the Res­cue Nigeria Economy Proj­ect (RNEP) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to immediately invite the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, for questioning over allegations of receiving a N1 billion bribe before the PDP presidential primaries, levelled against him by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

The RNEP, which made the call at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, said such a weighty allegation coming from a top chieftain of the party against the Chairman should not be treated with levity.

Wike had during a chat with media men on Friday, described Ayu as a “very corrupt man” and accused him of collecting N1 billion from an unnamed presidential aspirant in Lagos shortly before the PDP’s presidential primary.

Read also: EFCC arraigns Stella Obasanjo’s younger brother for alleged N120m fraud

“I’m totally informed. Ayu has the opportunity to challenge me, I will reveal more. Some of the governors can tell you. Will he deny the fact that he collected N1bn from Lagos? Let him deny it; I will tell him who gave him the money, not from the Lagos State Government. The money was given to him in Lagos.

“He met one of the presidential aspirants and told him that he’s not sure these governors may want to sponsor the party,” Wike had said.

Reacting to the allegation, the RNEP said it expected Ayu to respond to the allegations swiftly but his silence over the weighty accusations levelled against him by Wike shows he could have been compromised.

In a statement at the end of the press conference signed by the Executive Secre­tary of the group, Dennis Alamu-George, the RNEP said Ayu’s silence calls for an immediate investigation into Wike’s claims.

“For us, silence is not golden on this matter. If Ayu fails to challenge Wike to prove his allegations, then the anti-graft agencies should do the needful. The EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, should personally take up the matter.

“For the national chairman of a political party which has been accusing the ruling party of corruption and mis-governance and has offered itself as a better alternative to be involved in this humongous scandal is not only alarming but at the same time worrisome.

“We are surprised that 24 hours after the weighty allegations levelled against the PDP Chairman by the Rivers state governor, he has neither confirmed nor denied the claim,” part of the statement reads.

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