The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, on Friday, denied accusations by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, that he collected N1 billion bribe from an undisclosed presidential aspirant.
Ayu, who is responding to Wike’s accusations openly for the first time, said the money being referred to by the governor was a mere proposal.
According to him, the N1 billion was a proposed bank loan. He added that the loan proposal was to ensure the party has financial strength but the PDP leadership later dropped the idea after due consultations.
The PUNCH reports that Wike, who lost the presidential ticket to PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the May primaries, has so far refused to be swayed by entreaties to work with Ayu.
Wike had accused Ayu of collecting N1 billion from a presidential aspirant. Earlier today, The PUNCH reports that Wike accused Ayu of also collecting N100 million from a PDP governor and collected N100 million from PDP for the same project.
But addressing journalists after the party’s Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, Ayu said he never collected N1 billion from anyone.
“I want to make it clear that at no time did I, as the National Chairman of the party, collect any N1bn from anybody. When we came in and the party was having funding difficulties, the presidential candidate suggested that we should take a loan from the bank and the owner of that bank is a member of the party, he has even left the party.
“The party never took any loan from anybody. Any money advanced to the party was declared before the NWC and handed over to the National Treasurer. All our accounts are up to date and we promised to publish the accounts at the end of the year.“
He added, “On today’s (Wike) allegations (N100 million), I fully briefed the BoT that one of our governors made a contribution of 100 million for the revival of the PDI which was housed in a portacabin and I explained to them that we hired an appropriate place in Asokoro, we have furnished it, renovated it.
“Three days later we went there, inspected it and the NWC decided that before commissioning we should invite the governor in question to come and inspect what we have done with his contribution.
“I am happy that the National Secretary of the party has since written a letter to that governor. I or the NWC never took any money to carry out that renovation in fact, we have not even exhausted that N100 million given by one of the governors.“
Continuing, Ayu said, “The consistent attack on my person since the end of the convention on the 31st of May. I have refrained from reacting as the father of the party I felt I should encourage reconciliation.
“But where it touches on my personal integrity or even my family members are brought into play I appeal to such people to desist from trying to malign my character or bringing my family into party affairs.”
During his media chat on September 23, 2022, the governor said if not for the love he and others in his camp had for the main opposition party, they could have prevented the PDP convention from holding.
Wike alleged that Ayu played a vital role that was detrimental to other aspirants in the emergence of Atiku as the PDP flagbearer. The governor alleged that Ayu called several presidential aspirants to step down for the former vice president during the convention.
“He was calling aspirants to withdraw for Atiku. I was there, Saraki and others were there. He manipulated the delegates. There was nothing Ayu did not do to ensure Wike didn’t emerge,” Wike said.
