The aggrieved governors in the camp of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State have said that the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Iyorchia Ayu will not lead the party’s campaign in their various states, alleging Ayu is corrupt.
The five governors – Samuel Ortom (Benue), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ikeazu Okezie (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) – who spoke Saturday, at the Rivers State PDP campaign flag-off held at Adokie Amiesimeka Stadium in Igwurita, Ikwerre LGA, said they were hurt by the refusal of the party’s leadership to ask Ayu to step down for a Southerner to assume the party’s leadership position, insisting on equity, fairness and justice in the party structure.
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in his speech at the programme, said he was ready to challenge anyone in court on his claims that Ayu was very corrupt and lacks the integrity to continue to lead the party. He said none of the G-5 governors will lose elections in their various states.
Governor Wike reinstated his position that Ayu collected bribes of N1billion in Lagos, saying that he would only expose evil meted to the party faithful.
“Not one of the state of PDP integrity governors will lose their governorship. Not one. No amount of gang up will make us to lose Abia, Enugu, Benue and Oyo states and who is that that will come and win Rivers state? I do not understand human beings, some people want to be governor of Rivers state since 2003 till now.
“What you must do to chase away your opponent is operation show your report card. Do we have report card? Have we done well? Mr President said we have done well and if the President says we have done well, who are these people?
“Nobody will lead me to a campaign by a man who is corrupt. I have challenged Ayu, Ayu you are corrupt and you cannot lead me to any campaign. I will not, Rivers state will not, whether they like it or not, Ayu can not lead us to campaign. Ayu is corrupt. I am sorry to say to the Benue Governor, if I have insulted you, forgive me. Rivers people are hurt.
“I went to Benue state. Ayu, you have not stayed one year in office and you are fighting corruption, how do you fight corruption? I ask you, you took N1billion, I told you, you took N100billion, I told you you took the money that we realized from the primaries.
Ayu, sue me. You are buying University in Benue state and you have not stayed one year in office, assuming you enter office what will you do? You cannot fight Rivers State and go free. You cannot fight Nigeria and go free. We will support when your hands are clean. It does not matter all the media you go to insult me. If you like, insult us as you want, the truth must be told”.
The Rivers State governor further stated that he and his team will not support any candidate including his PDP member who believes that no other tribe other from the North will rule the country as President.
“Here in Rivers let the heaven hear me today, let the earth hear me today, I will not support anybody who says that no other person from any ethnic group can become President. I will not do it.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. Whether you are from the Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Itshekiri etc everybody is entitled to be the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They go to National Television and tell everybody do not vote for yoruba, do not vote for the Igbo, he did not mention where I come from, which means I come from nowhere, but I come from somewhere.
I exist. God has never made a mistake, God is the one who says where we should come from. This has nothing to do with party, but it has to do with identity. By the grace of God I come from somewhere and we must show that we come from somewhere. If somebody say you do not exist, say you exist”.
Earlier in his remarks, Samuel Ortom, Benue State Governor who is the Chairman of the team, commended Wike’s leadership. He said “PDP is not together, they have not been able to deploy mechanism to resolve the conflict in the party”.
Ortom assured that the team will remain firm in rescuing Nigeria through equity, fairness and justice.
Others that spoke at the event were Governor Makinde (Oyo), Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Ikpeazu (Abia), Ayodele Fayose (former Ekiti governor), Rivers PDP chairman, Desmond Akawor, Felix Obuah (PDP campaign council chairman), Sim Fubara (Rivers PDP gubernatorial candidate), others.
