Politics
Wike dares Ayu to approach court over corruption allegations as PDP crisis festers
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday reopened his corruption allegation against the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu.
The governor had in September alleged that Ayu collected N1 billion from one of the PDP presidential aspirants and failed to remit the money to the party’s coffer.
He also accused the chairman of receiving N100 million from a governor for a project which the party had paid for.
The former Senate President had since distanced himself from the allegations.
Wike and four other governors – Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Samuel Ortom (Benue) – are pushing for the resignation of Ayu as the PDP chairman.
The quintet have boycotted the party’s presidential campaigns in a bid to press home their demand.
Wike, who spoke during the flag-off of the PDP state-level campaign at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, challenged Ayu to approach the court on the allegations.
He said: “Nobody will listen to a campaign led by a corrupt man. Ayu is corrupt. Rivers people are hurt. Ayu, you are fighting corruption, how do you fight corruption? I said you took N1bn. I told you, you took the money we realised from the primaries. Ayu sue me!
“You cannot fight Rivers State and go free. Ayu, you cannot lead me or Rivers State to any campaign because you are very corrupt.”
The latest remark by the Rivers State governor has confirmed insinuations that there was no way out of the protracted crisis in the major opposition party with just three months to the 2023 general elections.
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