* Wike Calls for Ayu’s resignation
Governor, Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has made fresh Accusations against the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP National Chairman , Iyorchia Ayu.
Mr Wike while speaking with Newsmen on Friday during a live media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State accused Mr Ayu of receiving double pay for a single project for the party.
The Rivers governor had accused the PDP national chairman in September of collecting N1 billion as bribe from a PDP presidential aspirant from Lagos ahead of the party’s primary in May.
Wike added that “Ayu collected N100 million from a governor that he was going to renovate our democratic institute and then he went back to the (PDP) NWC and took the same N100 million naira for doing the same work.”
The governor challenged Mr Ayu to deny it and he would reveal more details about the double pay.
Mr Wike, who was a presidential aspirant of the PDP, is leading a group of party chieftains who are demanding the resignation of Mr Ayu, in order to achieve a “regional balance” since Messrs Ayu and the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, are both from the north.
But Mr Ayu has insisted he would not resign because he was elected for a four year-term.
Mr Wike, during the Friday media chat, claimed that Mr Ayu promised to relinquish his position if a presidential candidate of the party emerges from the north, and not when the candidate wins the general election to emerge president.
He said the party found itself in the leadership crisis because of its failure to zone the party’s presidential ticket to southern Nigeria in line with the party’s constitution.
“What we’re contending with is that the chairman (should) go to the South (because) the presidential candidate is in the north.
They are denying my people their own right. It will be foolish of me from the South to abdicate that position of chairmanship,” he said.
He faulted those arguing that the national chairmanship position of the party should be zoned to the South if Mr Atiku emerges president in 2023.
