The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has come under fire from the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, over his remarks about the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.
According to Anaedoonline.ng, Ayu said he had the authority to thwart Ortom’s aspirations for the Senate as well as those of other individuals vying for posts throughout the party’s platform.
However, Wike dared Ayu to follow through on his threat on Sunday when briefing journalists at his home in Rumiprikon, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Wike Dares Ayu To Stop Ortom, Ikpeazu, Makinde From Contesting
He claimed it was bad for Ayu to criticize Ortom because the governor had informed him of his mistakes and was the one who had promoted him to the position of party chairman.
In response to Ayu’s statement that no one could fire him, Wike stated that the problem wasn’t whether or not anybody could fire Ayu, but rather whether or not he would keep his word if he still had any integrity.
“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.
According to Wike, his camp’s stance is still that the presidential candidate and the party’s national chairman cannot both come from the same zone because the party’s constitution mandates zoning for electoral and political roles.
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He added, “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.
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“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.”
According to Wike, Ayu was likely expecting that Nigerians would donate money to the party so that he would have control over the funds.
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