The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr
Iyorchia Ayu, on Friday, denied accusations by the Rivers State Governor,
Nyesom Wike, that he collected N1 billion bribe from an undisclosed
presidential aspirant.
Ayu, who is responding to Wike’s accusations openly for the
first time, said the money being referred to by the governor was a mere
proposal.
According to him, the N1 billion was a proposed bank loan.
He added that the loan proposal was to ensure the party has financial strength
but the PDP leadership later dropped the idea after due consultations.
Wike, who lost the presidential ticket to PDP presidential
candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the May primaries, has so far refused to be
swayed by entreaties to work with Ayu.
Wike had accused Ayu of collecting N1 billion from a
presidential aspirant. Earlier today, Wike accused Ayu
of also collecting N100 million from a PDP governor and collected N100 million
from PDP for the same project.
But addressing journalists after the party’s Board of
Trustees meeting on Friday, Ayu said he never collected N1 billion from anyone.
“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.“
He added, “On today’s (Wike) allegations (N100 million), I
fully briefed the BoT that one of our governors made a contribution of 100
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.
“Three days later 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.“
Continuing, Ayu said, “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.”
During his media chat on September 23, 2022, the governor
said if not for the love he and others in his camp had for the main opposition
party, they could have prevented the PDP convention from holding.
Wike alleged that Ayu played a vital role that was
detrimental to other aspirants in the emergence of Atiku as the PDP flagbearer.
The governor alleged that Ayu called several presidential aspirants to step
down for the former vice president during the convention.
“He was calling aspirants to withdraw for Atiku. I was
there, Saraki and others were there. He manipulated the delegates. There was
nothing Ayu did not do to ensure Wike didn’t emerge,” Wike said.
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