Seyi Odewale
The Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike yesterday challenged the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to dare stop any candidate of the party from contesting the 2023 general election if he has such power.
The PDP Chairman was credited to have said nobody could sack him, and that he has
powers to stop any candidate from participating in the 2023 election.
Governor Wike, however, in Port Harcourt at a media parley while reacting to Ayu’s comment, described it as evidence of arrogance and impunity, adding that it was an empty threat directed at the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, who was Ayu’s benefactor and guarantor when he (Ayu) contested for the party’s national chairmanship position.
Wike said: “That also tells you the impunity. I heard when he said he would have stopped (Gov) Ortom from running. You see how ungrateful humans are. This was the same (his) governor Ortom, who pleaded with us
and said he can take this risk and let him become the national chairman.
“This is a man who never campaigned anywhere. This is a man who never printed any poster even when they gave him money to print posters. Now, he can even tell you that if he wanted to stop the man (Ortom) who
brought him, who became his guarantor.
That is the corruption we are talking about.” He added: “He has now come into office. He has seen money. He has seen power. Now, he can open his mouth to say that if he wanted to stop Ortom, he will do it. We dare him.
And he said he can also stop any contestant. I dare him. If he is national chairman, I dare him to stop any contestant, if he has what it takes.”
Afenifere leader, Fasoranti blesses Tinubu over presidential bid
A statement by Governor Wike’s media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, yesterday in Port Harcourt, said Wike wondered the basis for Senator Ayu’s comment on being sacked when the issues on ground are the demand for his resignation.
According to the statement, Governor Wike said nobody asked Senator Ayu to be sacked as what is being emphasised is that promises made by Ayu should be kept. “It is important that people understand the difference between being sacked and the call for
promises made to be kept,” it said. Quoting Wike, the statement said: “And what we are saying is, as a man of honour, if he (Ayu) has any, keep to your honour, keep to your integrity. So, the issue of people
sacking him does not arise.
“All we are saying is, keep to the agreement, yes, in order for our party to show inclusivity, to show in our party that we are not marginalising any zone. That if the presidential candidate comes from the north as it has come from the north, then the national chairman will come from the south.”
It added: “So, saying that nobody can sack him does not arise. Nobody has said he must be sacked. For you to be sacked, there are procedures for sacking people.”
According to the statement, Governor Wike’s calls for Ayu’s resignation was in agreement with the letter and spirit of the party’s constitution.
The governor, the release said, explained that the party’s constitution clearly spelt it out that the positions of the national chairman of the party and the presidential candidate cannot be of the same zone as currently is the case.
“By our party’s constitution, there must be zoning for elective and political offices. He had said, knowing fully well that there was no way the presidential candidate and the national party’s chairman should come from one zone, that if the presidential candidate comes from the north I (he) will resign to allow the south to produce the national chairman.
“If at this point in time, you’re the national chairman of the party who has told Nigerians that this is what you’ll do if this happens, and now that has happened and you’re running away from doing that, so, how do you think that Nigerians will believe you assuming you try to tell them to vote for your party,” it said.
According to Governor Wike, it was up to Senator Ayu if he is hell bent not to tread the path of honour in keeping his promise, advising Ayu to be wary of whatever that is giving him confidence.
“What we are saying is that we want our party to win. But if you think you can do without keeping to the promises you have made, so be it,” he said.
Governor Wike, who spoke further, pointed to the fact that one of the reasons Senator Ayu has been reluctant to leave office was because he wanted to continue to superintendent over the PDP finances despite his failure to account for how funds realised from party primaries were expended.
He said: “Why does he not want to resign? He is hoping that Nigerians will donate money to the party so he will superintendent over that money. He has already finished the one of N11 billion from party’s primaries. Account for it, he says it is in the account. Show the public the account. Print out the statement of account of PDP and
let the world see how the N11 billion was expended.
“And this is the party that all of us have laboured to takeover power from the ruling party that we said has done badly. And then the national chairman will open his mouth to talk about stopping contestants. Ayu shouldn’t say so. He tried it in Rivers State.
He came to manipulate and try to put some gubernatorial aspirants, but he saw the result. We dealt with him.”
He mocked those who said they could do without the five PDP governors’ demand for inclusivity in the party.
Wike reminded them that votes are not cast in the media, neither are elections won there, but in the units, local governments, and states where those five governors are at home with their people. According to him, the outcome of the elections will surprise them.
He took a swipe at Dele Momodu, whom he said only joined the PDP during the presidential primaries. mocking him for securing only one vote at the party’s presidential primaries.
He also said he would never allow anybody to drop his name to seek relevance as the former Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) Marshal, Osita Chidoka was trying to do, adding that when Chidoka was denied the
party’s governorship ticket in his state he left the PDP to another party.
