AYU TERRIBLY CORRUPT, WAS PRESSURIZING ASPIRANTS TO STEP DOWN FOR ATIKU AT THE CONVENTION GROUND – WIKE

Port Harcourt: Rivers State Governor, Barr Nyesom Wike, CON, categorically described the embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyorcha Ayu as “terribly corrupt”.

Wike made the allegation yesterday, Friday, at Government House, Port Harcourt, Rivers State while speaking with journalists during an interactive media session that was broadcast live on various national television stations including AIT.

“Ayu is terribly corrupt. He collected money (bribes) from several persons. For instance, he collected N1bn from a presidential aspirant in Lagos. I have details of how he got the money. If he denies it, I will make more revelations about him”

He equally accused Senator Ayu of pressurizing presidential aspirants to step down for Alh Atiku Abubakar, who eventually emerged as the party’s presidential candidate.

“Ayu held meetings at the home of some retired Generals and was was urging aspirants to step down for Atiku. Even at the convention venue, he kept pressurizing aspirants to step down for Atiku. Ask Bala Mohammed, Saraki, or even Tambuwal.

“That led to the convention starting late. He kept telling them “If you don’t step down, Wike will win”.

Wike went on to express his displeasure with Senator David Mark

“I’m disappointed with David Mark, convention planning committee Chairman. After all aspirants spoke and I spoke last because it was done in alphabetical order, when voting was about to commence, he asked Tambuwal to speak again, who then not just withdrew but asked his supporters to support Atiku.”

“I confronted Ayu and told him that the convention planning committee was filled with Atiku’s men, he denied it but I told him that I just wanted him to know that I’m aware”

He also accused Ayu of manipulation of the delegates list. However, when asked why he went on to contest if all his allegations were true, he had this as a response:

“I’m a no nonsense person but I decided to take part in the election because of my love for the party. If I had decided that the convention won’t hold, even if heavens fall it would not have held.”

According to him, he never wanted to be Atiku’s running mate but Atiku himself proposed that to him

“I never wanted to be VP. It was the day after the convention, on a Sunday, Atiku came to see me with Adoke Bello, Maina Waziri and others.

“After we all discussed for a while, Maina asked two of us to go and talk. Immediately, he told me “Ayu must go!” I asked him “Why?”, he said that the North can’t hold President and National Chairman.

Next he said we wants me to go for Vice. I said No, you have promised Okowa, he said No, that he never did that. In fact, that he told Okowa that it wasn’t possible. I said ok, that I will consult my people first.

“It was the day Atiku collected certificate of return and I came to congratulate him that he said a retired General penciled 3 names, myself, Okowa and Udom for VP but that Ayu was not happy with it. So, he said he decided to write asking PDP to choose from the three, to avoid his 2019 mistake of picking solely picking Peter Obi as his running mate”

Governor Wike also revealed that he told his people that he didn’t trust Atiku regarding the issue of running mate but they urged him to accept it, in the interest of peace.

He went further to assert that he serious about his presidential project and never had his mind on anything else. According to him, people who are not serious aspirants collected Presidential and Senatorial forms but he said No, even after he was being urged to pick the Senatorial from after losing at the convention.