PDP Crisis Deepens, Wike Accuses Ayu of N100m Fraud

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has deepened after Governor Nyesom Wike accused the National Chairman of the party, Iyorcha Ayu of fraudulently obtaining N100 million from one of the party’s governors.

The governor spoke on the heels of a meeting by the PDP Board of Trustees led by a former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara in Abuja.

Governor Wike has been at loggerheads with the party following the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the opposition party in May this year.

The Rivers helmsman has also demanded the resignation of Ayu to pave the way for a southerner to lead the party in next year’s election as the Chairman, arguing that both the presidential candidate and the chairmanship positions cannot be occupied by one region. Both Atiku and Ayu are from the Northern part of the country.

His latest revelation, close watchers of the party said, is part of Wike’s efforts to force Ayu out of office after he earlier accused him of an N1 billion fraud.

Other four PDP governors who are with the Rivers governor in the ongoing effort to put pressure on Ayu to resign are Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Ugwuaiyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

The five governors recently unsettled the party after they all boycotted the PDP presidential campaign flag-off in Akwa Ibom state.

The governor who spoke on Friday during a media chat in Port Harcourt, the state’s capital accused Ayu of falsely collecting N100 million from a PDP governor he failed to mention, adding that the former lacks integrity and cannot lead the party to the 2023 presidential election.

Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State, opened a new can of worms on Friday, regarding the alleged light finger tendencies of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, a man he said even his children would abandon, if they were let into his secrets.

Wike said, “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. And I have realised that people find it hard to have that (integrity) lately. 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.”