PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu
Eko Hot Blog reports that the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, has denied collecting N1 billion for anybody.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had accused Ayu of collecting a N1 billion bribe from a member of the party in Lagos.
Over the past few months, Wike has spearheaded an effort to force Ayu’s resignation.
The governor has argued that the party chairman had promised to resign if a northerner emerged the presidential candidate.
But Ayu has refused to resign despite the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, as the PDP nominee for president.
In a major escalation of the crisis, Wike and his allies pulled out of the party’s presidential campaign council in September.
They also shunned the flag-off of the PDP presidential campaign on Monday.
During a live chat with journalists at the government house in Port Harcourt on Friday, Wike doubled down on his bribe allegation and challenged Ayu to deny it.
He threatened to expose the party’s national chairman if he denies the accusation, going as far as saying that Ayu’s children would disown him if all the happenings in the party involving their father are made public.
Responding to the allegations in a statement on Friday, Ayu said he had kept mute before now to prevent altercations in the party.
He, however, said he could no longer be quiet as the allegations touch on his “personal integrity” and his family has been brought into play.
“When the first allegation was made i.e. the N1billion – I decided not to respond because we don’t want to cause altercations in the party. However, I want to make it clear that at no time did I, as the National Chairman of PDP collect any N1billion from anybody,” Ayu said.
“The consistent attacks on my person since the end of the convention on the 31st of May are deliberate and unfortunate. I have restrained myself from reacting. As the father of the party, I felt I should encourage reconciliation.
“But where it touches on my personal integrity, of which even my own family members are brought into play, it is incumbent upon me to reply.
“So, I state that I never collected N1bn from anybody.”
On Friday, Wike also alleged that Ayu collected N100 million naira from a governor to renovate the People’s Democratic Institute (PDI) and went to the party’s national working committee (NWC) to take another N100 million naira for the same work.
The party’s national chairman dismissed the accusation, saying the N100 million donation has been “judiciously used” for the appropriate purpose.
He denied collecting another N100 million for the project from the party, saying the party is yet to exhaust the governor’s donation.
“Also the N100m that was donated by one of the governors has been judiciously used for the purpose it was given. And in the next few weeks, we will be inviting all party leaders, including members of the press, to come for the commissioning of the PDI,” Ayu said.
“When we came in and the party had funding difficulties, the current presidential candidate suggested that the party should take a loan of N1bn from a bank. And the owner of that bank was also an influential member of this party. He has left the party now.
“But when we discussed with him, we discarded the idea. And the party never took any loan or any money from anybody. And I as a person never collected N1billion from anybody.
“Any money advanced to the party was declared before the National Working Committee (NWC) and handed over to the National Treasurer of the party.
“The party’s accounts are straight. They are up to date. And we promise to present the audited account to the public at the end of the year.
“On today’s allegations – luckily, I had fully briefed the Board of Trustees (BoT) that one of our governors made a contribution of N100m
“To the revival of the Peoples Democratic Institute which was housed in a portacabin. And we explained to them that we hired an appropriate place in Asokoro; we have renovated and furnished it.
“Two or three days ago, we went there to inspect the place. And the NWC decided that even before commissioning, we should invite the Governor in question to come and inspect what we have done with his money. I am happy to state that the National Secretary of the party has since written a letter to that Governor.
“So, it is not true. Neither I nor the NWC ever took any party money to carry out the renovation. In fact, we have not even exhausted that N100m which was donated by one of the governors.”
See photos of PDP leaders inspecting the party’s democratic institute below:
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