It was another day of brickbats yesterday in the hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike claiming the sins of the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu were so grievous that his children would disown him if all the beans were spilled.

“If people know what we know, if we release what we have, Ayu’s children will go to him and say we are no longer your children,” Wike said in a live television interview in Port Harcourt.

He reiterated his earlier allegation that the PDP chairman once collected N1 billion from someone in Lagos.

He also said Ayu received another N100 million from a governor to renovate the PDP democratic institution only to go “back to the PDP NWC and took the same N100 million naira for doing the same work.”

Ayu’s response was swift. He denied the allegations and warned that his family be left out of PDP matters.

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party which has been trying to broker peace between Wike and the PDP flag bearer in the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, submitted its report on the rift to the party with a recommendation that Ayu should resign only after the elections.

Wike’s faceoff with Atiku revolves around Ayu’s exit.

The Rivers State governor, during his television interview yesterday, said Ayu had no locus to stand before Nigerians and campaign for PDP in respect of the 2023 general elections.

He said: “There cannot be any comment. He (Ayu) cannot say anything. Look, I am the governor of Rivers State and I don’t just come out to speak.

“Let Ayu say he did not collect N1 billion. In fact, let me also tell you, Ayu collected N100 million from a governor that he was going to renovate our democratic institution and then he (Ayu) went back to the PDP NWC and took the same N100 million for doing the same work.

“What kind of system is that? I am telling you all these are facts. Let him (Ayu) say no first and I will tell you (those he collected money from).

“A leader must be a man of integrity. And I have realised that people find it hard to have that (integrity) lately. You presenting a man (Ayu) who lacks integrity as chairman of the party; somebody that wants to lead a campaign to take the reins of government?

“What is the problem with what we are asking of Ayu? We are saying let there be equity, let there be fairness and justice.

“But if you don’t want it that way, then you are the one causing the crisis (in the party) and that shows you (Ayu) don’t have leadership skills, because this is the time to show it. This is the time to show leadership skills on the part of those who are leaders of the party.”

Wike said the PDP and its presidential candidate must do the right thing for the party to stand a chance of winning the presidential election in 2023.

The governor described the right thing as the resignation of Ayu as PDP national chairman for a southerner to occupy the seat within the principle of equity, fairness and justice.

He said: “Any leader of a group who causes crisis within the group that he leads truly lacks the requisite skills to navigate the affairs of such group.

“This is the time to show leadership skill on the part of those who are leaders of the party. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is the presidential candidate. He is the one who feels the pain.”

Wike made reference to the party’s Constitution that spells it out in Section 7 (3) (c) that all political and elective positions must be zoned.

He wondered why it had become difficult for Ayu to respect the constitution or even keep to his promise and quit the office.

“We had not held the presidential primary before the national chairman of the party said if the presidential candidate emerged from his area he would quit,” he said.

He said the mission to rescue Nigeria required a leader with proven integrity to lead the party.

He said: “For God’s sake, knowing that you are in a party that wants to take over the reins of governance in the country, we know Nigerians know the problems confronting the country.

“If a leader does not have integrity, forget it. We need a man who will tell his people this; a man who will be firm, a man who will be courageous to do those things that even people find difficult to do.

“You are presenting a man who is the head of the party, the chairman of the party who has no integrity to lead the campaign to take over the reins of governance.”

Wike insisted that the chairmanship position of the party should go to the South before the elections, saying it was not acceptable to suggest such rotation would take place after the election.

“Who is there to decide for the South? Why will you tell me until when you finish election that’s when a southerner will emerge as chairman?” he asked.

Wike described as media reports that some former PDP governors, including Dr Peter Odili, were sent to him to resolve the crisis in the party.

The governor said he did not see the PDP winning the 2023 elections without his support and that of the four other governors in his camp.

“If I leave the party today, PDP cannot win the election. If the five PDP governors say they are leaving today, we are not just ordinary governors; we are very committed and strong.

“There is nobody that wants to win election and still continue the way they are doing. I have supported many states financially to win election in the past, including Plateau, Ondo, Cross Rivers, and they cannot deny it.”

The governor dismissed insinuation that Sir Celestine Omehia was de-recognised by the state lawmakers because of his support for Atiku.

According to him, the lawmakers took their decision based on the Supreme Court judgment that sacked him.

Wike also denied claim by the management of Africa Independent Television (AIT) that the company acquired its land in Port Harcourt from the state government.

He said when the State House of Assembly started deliberation on the land, AIT failed to provide any letter of allocation to claim ownership of the land that was supposed to house its regional office in Port Harcourt.

Wike also spoke of plan to construct a ring road estimated to cost N70bn from Okrika Town axis through Eleme to the Port Harcourt International Airport and terminate at Choba town.

He said since the tenure of his administration would end in May 2023, he would recommend to the incoming administration to execute the project because of its importance.

The governor said the appointment of 50,000 Special Assistants had provided job opportunities for the affected persons.

Ayu to Wike: I didn’t collect N1 billion from anyone; let my family be
In a swift reaction yesterday to the latest fireworks from Wike, Dr. Ayu said he never collected N1 billion from anyone.

He warned aggrieved persons to leave his family out of the controversy; a veiled reference to Wike’s claim that Ayu’s children would disown him if all the ‘sins’ of the party chairman were made public.

“I appeal to aggrieved people to desist from trying to malign my character or bringing my family into party affairs,” he said.

”I never collected 1 billion from anybody. And the N100 million that was donated by one of the governors was judiciously used for the purpose that it was given.”

He promised to provide in due course details of the PDP account.

The PDP National Chairman said as the father of the party, he decided to be quiet for peace to reign.

“I felt I should encourage reconciliation. But where it touches on my integrity, which even my own family members are brought into play.

BoT submits report on Atiku/Wike rift, recommends Ayu’s resignation after elections

The seven-member committee of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) yesterday recommended the resignation of Dr. Ayu only after next year’s elections.

It gave him the nod to continue to lead the party in disregard of calls for his immediate exit by Wike and his backers.

The BoT also asked the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, to convene the meeting of the governors without delay.

These and other recommendations were contained in a report submitted by the BoT committee which mediated in the festering rift between the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Governor Wike.

In a communique issued yesterday after a meeting of the BoT at the PDP Abuja secretariat, cleared Ayu to continue in office until after the 2023 elections.

It however urged Ayu to give a firm assurance that he would resign his position after the 2023 elections.

The BoT also called on Atiku to review the appointments of members of the PDP Campaign Council and other advisory appointments to make it all inclusive.

The meeting called on all party leaders and persons close to them to desist from making further inflammatory remarks or granting press interviews.

It also urged leaders of the party to match words with action and where commitments are made, to unconditionally fulfill same.

It said: “In the same vein, the BoT chairman has been authorised to offer apologies on behalf of all members who feel maligned or aggrieved by public statements made by their loyalists across the country that have sharpened the current division in the party.

“The BoT will refer some of these recommendations for noting and appropriate action to NEC of our party in due course,” Wabara said.

Speaking earlier at the opening session of the meeting, Wabara had called for sacrifice on the part of stakeholders to enable the party resolve its protracted leadership crisis.

At issue is the insistence of Wike and four other PDP governors that Ayu should resign as condition for them to support the party and Atiku in the 2023 presidential election.

Wabara said: “We carried out our assignment with an open mind. 2023 is for PDP to win or lose. A lot of ego has been hurt on both sides.

“Our position is advisory, and if we are indeed the conscience of the party, then we should be free, fair and courageous. The situation requires a little bit of sacrifice and understanding.”

Ayu, who also spoke at the opening session, had thanked the BoT members for their contribution to efforts to bring peace to the party, saying the goal was to win the election.

He added that the desire of every member was to see the PDP win the 2023 election.

The report will be presented at the next meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) for deliberation and consideration.

Other members of the BoT reconciliation committe are Tanimu Turaki, Shuaibu Oyedokun, Ibrahim Idris, Okwesilieze Nwodo, Esther Uduehi and Zainab Maina. (The Nation)

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