Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has again accused the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, of embezzling the party’s funds, saying the former Senate President cannot lead the PDP campaigns in the state ahead of the 2023 general election.

Wike accused Ayu of embezzling N1 billion out of the funds realised by the PDP from the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms for the party’s presidential primaries in May.

The governor said this during the flag-off of the PDP campaigns in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Saturday.

“Ayu is corrupt. Rivers people are hurt. Ayu, you are fighting corruption; how do you fight corruption? I said you took N1bn. I told you, you took the money we realised from the primaries. Ayu sue me.

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“You cannot fight Rivers State and go free.

“I repeat it that Ayu is very corrupt. A man that is corrupt cannot lead me and cannot lead my state to campaign,” Governor Wike stated.

He further urged the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to enjoin Ayu to step down for a southerner.

Others at the event were other aggrieved PDP governors, known as G5 – Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

Others included PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja; and former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, amongst others.

It would be recalled that Governor Wike and other aggrieved governors elected on the platform of the PDP have since been calling for the resignation of Ayu.

The aggrieved governors have insisted that it is unfair for the main opposition party to have the national chairman and presidential candidate from the northern region of the country ahead of the 2023 general election, saying Ayu should resign his position for justice, equity, and fairness in the PDP.

The Star