… As he carefully lays his card on the table
Governor Nyesom Wike marshaling his points Friday in a chat with the press in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. The Rivers strongman, Governor Nyesom Wike Friday accused Iyorchia Ayu, National Chairman of the PDP of allegedly siphoning the sum of one billion which ought to be in the coffers of the party.
Governor who made the allegation on live television while telling his own side of the story, raised credibility issues about Ayu.
Laying his card on the table, Wike said a decision based on political expediency, which accommodates the interest of Southern Nigeria, would be the best way forward in resolving the impasse that has held the PDP hostage for weeks.
The Governor who spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt said that the clamour for a constitutional resolution is far from being realistic, saying there are widespread calls that are coming from the party for Iyorchia Ayu, National Chairman of the party to leave office in order not to endanger the PDP’s quest to win the forthcoming general elections.
Atiku: Has he lost control or will he be able to unify the PDP as the emerging leader?In a couple of days, the Independent National Electoral Commission would be lifting the ban on open air campaigns, but the drama which has created wide gulfs within the main opposition party still persists, with camps loyal to the presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar and the Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike disagreeing on almost everything.
The Governor hinted that he and his colleagues who pulled out of the campaign council, following their agitation over how party matters are being run, have no intention to walk out of the PDP.
He said they would remain in the PDP to fight acts of injustice that are daily impeaching the credibility of the party which was once seen as an example of a national party.
The Rivers Governor wondered how Atiku could be talking about unifying Nigeria when he is unable to bring the PDP family together.
Wike said that the issue of the removal of the national chairman could be easily handled by the National Working Committee.
Given precedents already set in the past, the Chief Executive of Rivers State noted that there would be nothing wrong if the NWC were to report the outcome of its actions to the national convention of the PDP at a later date.
Ayu, PDP National Chairman, in the eye of a raging storm that is threatening the unity of the party and its ability to win in 2023.He argued that those who earlier infringed on a critical provision of the PDP Constitution on matters relating to zoning cannot be the same persons to point at constitutional provisions put in place by the party’s founding fathers while talking about Ayu’s removal.
The Governor put an allegation on the head of the embattled chairman, accusing him of allegedly picking up the sum of one billion naira from someone in Lagos whose name he did not disclose.
Wike said that as a lawyer he was acutely aware of the gravity of the allegation that he is making against Ayu.
He however insisted that the money in question was never paid into the coffers of the party, urging Ayu should deny the allegation of alleged fraud if he can.
The PDP, especially the Atiku camp has since raised a team to attack the integrity of Wike’s comments. There was evidence of this fact on Friday.
The Port Harcourt Telegraph understands that spin doctors engaged by the Atiku camp are taking up platforms on television, radio, print and social media to launch charades against Wike.
It means that instead of seeking a solution, the combatants within the PDP may have entered another phase of the fight which is gradually unfolding.