Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, of collecting N1 billion from the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, before the party’s primaries.
It would be recalled that Wike, who lost the PDP presidential primary election held in May to Atiku, in September, said the party’s chairman collected N1 billion from a presidential aspirant of the party.
The governor, who failed to disclose the aspirant, had said: “Ayu is corrupt. Quote me. I am a lawyer and I am the governor of Rivers State. Ayu collected N1 billion in Lagos.
“He told one of the PDP presidential aspirants before the primaries that the governors were not ready to fund the party.
“I know how the money was arranged and those involved in packaging the money. He collected N1 billion. Let him come out to tell Nigerians it is not true and I will reveal more.”
The governor, last Friday, further accused Ayu of collecting N100 million bribe from a governor, saying: “Let me also tell you, Ayu collected N100 million from a governor. I am telling you of a governor.
“Let him (Ayu) say no that it was not true and I will tell you the governor. These are things people don’t know,” Governor Wike had said.
Reacting to the allegations, Ayu said a governor of the PDP donated N100 million for the renovation of the party’s Democratic Institute, noting that the renovation is ongoing.
The former Senate President stated that he never collected any money as an individual, adding that monies he received on behalf of the PDP were duly remitted to the party’s treasury.
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“I never collected N1 billion from anybody. And the 100 million that was donated by one of the governors was judiciously used for the purpose that it was given,” the PDP chairman had said.
However, Wike, while speaking in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Monday, shortly after arriving from Spain, said Ayu’s response was empty and did not address the allegations of corruption leveled against him.
The governor, who arrived from Spain alongside three of his allies, Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), said Ayu collected N1 billion from Atiku before the PDP presidential primary election held in Abuja.
He said: “I read the denials he (Ayu) made; of course, if you read the denial, you will know he had accepted the allegations made.
“First of all, when he was elected as the chairman of our party, he went to one of the presidential aspirants, whom I didn’t name. He went to him and said it looks like the governors are not willing to fund the party and therefore the need for them to have money.
“I did not mention who that presidential aspirant was; luckily for me, he had mentioned that he went to the presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, where they discussed the issue of borrowing.
“The question now remains, after the primaries, what was the position of Atiku? He had always dialogued or discussed with the governors on the funding of the party and the governors have always funded the party.
“Two, when you talk about borrowing, who approves borrowing, you must go to the NWC to say you want to borrow money. I challenge him (Ayu) to bring the record or where NWC approves that the party should go and borrow N1 billion. What will be the collateral?
“He collected N1 billion. Be sincere. How can you talk of a N1 billion loan without the NWC mooting the idea, without the governors’ knowledge?
“Then you talk about the N100 million he said he told the board of trustees (BOT). If any governor gives you N100 million in order to rebuild one of the structures of the party, the democratic institute, let him show the minutes of the NWC where he said a governor has contributed N100 million. Let him show the account to reflect this N100 million.
“Let him also say that the N100 million was in naira or in dollars. He said he gave it to the treasurer. I thought he would have told the world that NWC was aware.
“In fact, the normal thing is that once any governor or any party person has donated money to the party, you will go and tell NWC that so and so person has donated money. Let him show us the account where this money was paid into.
“Coming out to do a general denial is not denial. You (Ayu) must deny specifically the allegations that were made. Ask him about the contracts that are going on in this democratic institute and that of Wadata. Who is doing that contract? Is it not one of his sons?
“As a party, we believe that Nigerians must trust us. We must show leadership and part of that leadership is integrity. You don’t just come and deceive Nigerians that you did not collect N1 billion,” Governor Wike said.
The governor added that Ayu should resign his position as the PDP chairman, saying the former Senate President should keep to his commitment that he would resign if the party’s presidential candidate emerges from the North.
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