ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has lambasted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Parry (PDP), Senator Iyorcha Ayu, over his boastful comment against Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.
Ayu was quoted as saying that he could stop the Senatorial aspirations of Benue Governor Samuel Ortom and others eyeing various positions on the platform of PDP in 2023 elections.
Wike, while briefing journalists at his private residence in Rumiprikon, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Sunday, dared Ayu to make a good his threat, insisting that he (Ayu) was corrupt and lacks integrity.
“I dare the National Chairman to stop any contestant if he has what it takes. It is in this country where you say a man is very corrupt and he is trying to talk,” Wike said.
According to him, it was unfortunate for Ayu to speak against Ortom who brought him to become the party’s chairman because the Governor told him what he was not doing right.
Wike, while reacting to Ayu’s comment that nobody can sack him, said the issue was not about anyone sacking Ayu but honouring his promise if he has any integrity left in him.
“It is most unfortunate. Nobody has said Ayu should be sacked. The word sacking and keeping to your promise are two different things,” the Governor said.
Wike, the former Minister said his camp’s position remained that since the party’s constitution said there must be zoning for elective and political offices, there is no way the presidential candidate and the party’s national chairman will come from one zone.
His words: “Saying that nobody can sack him does not arise because nobody has said he must be sacked. For you to be sacked, there are procedures for sacking people.
“If at this point, you are a national chairman of a party who has told Nigerians that this is what you will do if this happens and now that it has happened, you are running away from doing that. How do you expect Nigerians to now believe you? How do you convince them to vote for your party when they know you won’t keep to integrity?
“I heard when he said he would have stopped Ortom from running. You see how ungrateful human beings are.
“This was the same Governor Ortom who pleaded with us, and said listen, ‘I can take this risk and let him (Ayu) become the national chairman.’ The governors agreed that no national chairman should come from where a governor comes from.
“We agreed on that. But Ortom came, and he is a man we respect, he said I want to promote my people. Let them be at the national politics and we said okay, in your honour we will agree.
“This is a man (Ayu) who never campaigned anywhere. This is a man who never bought a form or a poster. Even the money they gave him to print posters, he never printed any posters. Now he is saying he can stop the man who brought him, who became his guarantor.”
Wike stated that probably Ayu was hoping that Nigerians will donate money to the party so that he will become a superintendent over the money.