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Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has challenged the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, to stop any of the party’s candidates from contesting the 2023 general election.
Wike made the challenge in reaction to a statement credited to Senator Ayu, where he boasted that he could stop Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, from contesting for a senatorial seat.
Wike who threw the challenge on Sunday while speaking with newsmen at his private residence in Port Harcourt said: “I dare the National Chairman of PDP to stop any contestant for the election. I dare Ayu to stop any PDP candidate from contesting the election. He doesn’t have the power.
“I heard he said he would have stopped Governor Samuel Ortom from running. Do you see how ungrateful some people are? It is this same Ortom who pleaded that this man should be given a chance. That he wants his people to come up to the position of National Chairman.
“This is a man who never campaigned to be National Chairman of PDP. He never printed any posters even when he was given money to print posters.”
The governor added that nobody has called for Ayu’s sack, saying that the demand is that the National Chairman should fulfil the promise he made before the party’s presidential primary.
“It is most unfortunate that nobody has said Ayu should be sacked. The word ‘sacking’ and ‘keeping to your promise’ are two different things. All we are saying is that as a man of honour if you have anyone, keep to your promise,” he stressed.
Wike went on; “In order not to marginalise any zone or part of the country, keep to the agreement. If you said you will not keep to your integrity, no problem. What we are saying is that we want our party to win the next general election and Nigerians are looking in our direction.”
He accused Ayu of attempting to impose a governorship candidate on the party in Rivers State but was vehemently resisted by members of the party in the state.
He said: “He (Ayu) had finished over N11 billion the party realised from the sale of forms. He keeps saying the money is there. Let him print out the account statement of PDP and let Nigerians know how N11 Billion was spent.
“He tried to impose a gubernatorial candidate on Rivers State, but we dealt with him.”
Wike declared that he would never leave the PDP for any other political party stating that the party was not behaving like a political party that wants to win the election.
“We are not behaving like a political party that wants to win the election. For me, the PDP is in a dilemma now because of issue of integrity is at play. We must stick to what the constitution of our party said.
“I am not going for anyone to think that he is going to use me to be relevant. I said I will remain at the party and fight our fight. I am not leaving the PDP. I’m not looking for a job and I don’t want to be a minister. If you said I am not relevant, then, we will see how is relevant on election day”, the governor declared.
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