Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Friday, insisted that Senator Iyorcha Ayu, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) must resign.
He said the crisis of the PDP will not be resolved unless Senator Iyorcha Ayu resigned as the party’s national chairman.
He vowed not to back down on his call for Ayu’s resignation, saying there was nowhere in the party’s constitution where the president and the chairman of the party would come from the same zone.
Wike said this during a live media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Friday.
He, however, said the PDP was not divided but that people have refused to do the right thing.
He said, “They are denying my people their own right. This has nothing to do with Northern domination. Zone the chairmanship to anywhere in the South, not necessarily Rivers State.
“We are not going to back down. Some of them are hypocrites that want to eat the crumbs from the master’s table. There is no single law in the PDP that allows these two positions to come from the same zone.
“Live and let me live. Take and let me take. If the President comes from the North, let the National Chairman to the South. What is wrong with that?”
Asked if he was not thinking of making concessions, he said, “That I said I am not leaving the PDP is enough concession. What concession have they made?”
He further said integrity matters a lot, pointing out that the PDP presidential candidate met him one-on-one and made promises to him (Wike) but that he had refused to honour his words.
Wike said, “He (Atiku) met me one-on-one but has he implemented the agreement? If I leave the PDP today, the party cannot win Rivers State.
“Nobody can toy with us. If the five governors say we are leaving the party today, do you know what that means?
“Forget about all these things happening now. We are not just ordinary governors. We are formidable governors. If you want to win the election, why not do the right thing?”
Wike also revealed other allegations against Ayu, saying the party leader lacked integrity.
He alleged that the PDP chairman also received double pay for a single project.
“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 during his live media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
When asked about the N1 billion he said Ayu allegedly collected and that there has been no reaction from the national chairman, Wike 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 naira 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 naira 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).”
He added, “A leader must be a man of integrity. And I have realised that people find it hard to have that (integrity) lately. You are presenting a man (Ayu) who lacked integrity as chairman of the party and somebody that wants to lead a campaign to take the reigns 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.”
On the money returned by some NWC members, Wike alleged the money was not authorised by the party leadership.
When asked if the money paid to some NWC members was with ulterior motives, Wike said, “Of course. Let me tell you how the money came about. When it was discussed at the national working committee, Ayu said everybody should calm down and that Nigerians are interested, and that Nigerians will bring money to the party.
“I don’t want us to go deeper because I feel that we are not pushed to the wall (yet). If we are pushed to the wall, what the people will hear, will be something else.”
He added, “Let them show the minutes of the meeting where it was approved. You made over N14 billion naira (from PDP primaries and sale of forms) and people are saying look, we are going in for an election, ask them about the election that took place in Ekiti, how much did the party spend? ask them.
“There are people who believe Ayu is my man saying Ayu is protecting me. Look, what can Ayu do to me? What will he do? Can Ayu come and tell Rivers people where or who to vote? He doesn’t have the capacity to do that. So, why am I going to be afraid of him?
“What has Ayu done for me in my life for me to show gratitude? Rather, he should be grateful to me and other people. So, there is no basis for vindictiveness here or when people say you are after him because he is not with you and that is not the issue.
“If you can not honour what your promise, how can you stand before Nigerians and ask for votes or say anything PDP tells you we will do it? when you have not even done the simple one you said.
“And we are trying to help the PDP to remove this burden from us and you are taking Nigerians for granted saying don’t worry all these things (crisis) will die down, die down where?
