Updating your news feed...
NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.
Iyorchia Ayu with PDP logo in the background
A socio-political group, Rescue Nigeria Economy Project, on Saturday urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to invite Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the embattled National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to respond to the corruption allegations levelled against him by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
Wike, in a television interview with some journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday, had described Ayu as a very corrupt man who collected the sum N1b from a presidential aspirant in Lagos shortly before the PDP’s presidential primary.
“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 candidates (aspirants) and told him that he’s not sure these governors may want to sponsor the party,” Wike had claimed.
However, in a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Dennis Alamu-George, the group said Ayu’s silence over the weighty allegations levelled against him by Wike shows that something is amiss.
“We are surprised that 24 hours after the weighty allegations levelled against the PDP Chairman by the Rivers state governor, he has neither confirm nor deny the claim”.
“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,” the statement said. (Courtesy, excluding headline, Independent)
