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•Wike insists on his resignation, says he lacks integrity

•Alleges he collected N100m twice for N100m job aside N1bn

•I didn’t collect N1 bn, N100m from anyone, Ayu denies

By Clifford Ndujihe, John Alechenu & Olayinka  Ajayi

CONTRARY to the demand of the camp of the Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, that Senator Iyorchia Ayu must resign as national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, before the 2023 polls, the   Board of Trustees, BoT, has asked Ayu to continue till after the polls.

However, the BoT asked Ayu to assure that he would quit after the elections.

These were some of the decisions taken at a meeting of the BoT, yesterday, as Wike, who insisted on Ayu’s resignation accused the national chairman of collecting One billion naira, and   N100 million twice for a N100 million job among others.

Ayu denied Wike’s allegations and took exception to the governor maligning his person and dragging his family into the crisis.

Wike, backed by four other PDP governors- Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and some stakeholders are insisting on Ayu’s removal before they would support the campaigns of the PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

They were absent at the Kick-off of the campaigns in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, last week.

Recently, Senator Adolphus Wabara-led BoT met with Wike and promised to hold a meeting and advise the party leadership on the way forward, which it did, yesterday.

Wike’s graft allegations’ are wrong — Ayu

Senator Ayu denied allegations of collecting various sums of money ranging from N100 million to N1billion from various sources which he allegedly converted to personal use.

Wike had accused Ayu of collecting N1billion from a presidential aspirant in Lagos State and another N100 million from an unnamed PDP governor for the renovation of the Peoples Democratic Institute while at the same time collecting N100 million from the party’s coffers for the same purpose.

Ayu broke his silence over Wike’s series of allegations of malfeasance after a special meeting of the BoT in Abuja, yesterday.

He said:“This is a meeting of the BoT which I am only a member, as allegations persist, it is an opportunity to clear the air. I decided not to respond and not to encourage altercations at the party.

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“However, I want to make it clear that at no time did I, as the National Chairman of the party, collect any N1bn from anybody.

“When we came in and the party was having funding difficulties, the presidential candidate suggested that we should take a loan from the bank and the owner of that bank is a member of the party, he has even left the party.

“The party never took any loan from anybody. Any money advanced to the party was declared before the NWC and handed over to the National Treasurer.

“All our accounts are up to date and we promised to publish the accounts at the end of the year.”

Speaking specifically on Wike’s allegations that he received N100 million from a governor for the revival of the PDI, Ayu said: “On today’s allegations I fully briefed the BoT that one of our governors made a contribution of N100 million for the revival of the PDI, which was housed in a portacabin and I explained to them that we hired an appropriate place in Asokoro, we have furnished it, renovated it.

“For three days we went there, inspected it and the NWC decided that before commissioning we should invite the governor in question to come and inspect what we have done with his contribution.

“I am happy that the National Secretary of the party has since written a letter to that governor. I or the NWC never took any money to carry out that renovation, in fact, we have not even exhausted that N100 million given by one of the governors.”

In a veiled reference to Wike’s allegations against his person, Ayu said: “On the consistent attack on my person since the end of the convention on the 31st of May; I have refrained from reacting. As the father of the party, I felt I should encourage reconciliation. But where it touches on my personal integrity or even my family members are brought into play, I appeal   to such people to desist from trying to malign my character or bringing my family into party affairs.”

BoT’s olive branch

Earlier, the Senator Adolphus Wabara-led PDP BoT while reading the communique of the board’s meeting said: “After the special Board of Trustees meeting, the following resolutions were reached:

“To call on all party leaders and persons close to them, to desist from making further inflammatory remarks or granting press interviews.

“To call on the Chairmen of the PDP Governors Forum to convene a meeting of the PDP Governors Forum without further delay.

“To call on all the leaders of the party to match words with action and where commitments are made to unconditionally fulfil same.

“To urge the National Chairman as an eminent leader to give a firm assurance that he would resign his position after the 2023 elections.

“In the same vein, the BoT Chairman has been authorized to offer apologies on behalf of all members who feel maligned or aggrieved by the public statements made by its members across the country that have sharpened the current division in the party.

“To call on the presidential candidate to review its appointments of members of the campaign council and other advisory appointments to make it all-inclusive.

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

Ayu lacks integrity —Wike 

Earlier in the day, Wike,   had opened a new can of worms on his allegations against Ayu and boasted that without the support of his camp the PDP would lose the 2023 presidential poll.

Wike alleged that Ayu was so corrupt that even his children would abandon him if they were let into his secrets.

His words: “In fact, let me also tell you, Ayu collected N100 million from a governor. If not for the love of this party, if we release what we have, Ayu’s children will go to him and say we are no longer your children. 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 N1billion. 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. You a presenting a man (Ayu) who lacked integrity as chairman of the party. 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.”

Wike also described those supporting Senator Iyorchia Ayu   to remain as national chairman of the PDP as “Political hypocrites who like eating crumbs from the table.”

Atiku can’t win without us —Wike

Stressing that Atiku, Ayu and the leadership of the party were only taking an arrogant position in sticking to the status quo, he told the quartet of African Independent Television (AIT), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), TV Continental (TVC) and Channels TV, whom he hosted in the Rivers State capital: “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 the election and still continues the way they are going. I have supported many states financially to win elections in the past, including Plateau, Ondo, Cross River and they cannot deny it.”

According to Wike: “They are not sincere. They have sent different groups, there’s nothing so strong. Let’s do things that show we included everybody. So nothing has changed, they are just playing games.”

Asked if going ahead with the presidential campaign without his aggrieved group was a lost cause,   Wike said: “If you have participated in guerrilla warfare before, you will know it is in stages. But when we get to the bridge, we will cross it.

“Campaign is not about going to the podium to tell lies. I challenge any local government in Rivers to come out if they have not felt any impact of this administration. So we are still campaigning for PDP.”

On Executive order 21 in Rivers State, he said: “What is the executive order about? It is about getting permission before going to campaign in public schools. That if you want to use our public schools, deposit security money so that if you destroy infrastructure or you dirty the environment, the government will use that money to put it in to order.

“Yesterday, our party met and I told them that I will use them as an example.

“It is unfortunate and I told Nigerians that because something was not done yesterday does not mean that it won’t happen tomorrow.

“The law applies to everybody. We must be serious in governance. It has nothing to do with political affiliations. Things must be regulated.

“And I dare anybody to go use public schools for campaign without approval.”