IBUKUNOLUWA KING-OKUNEYE
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has slammed the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu.
He accused Ayu of being “ingratitude” and “arrogance”, adding that they brought him from the gutter to become the PDP chairman.
The governor stated this in response to Ayu’s comment that he (Wike) and his supporters calling for his (Ayy’s) removal were boys and children.
“These children you said we are, brought you from nothing,” Wike said during the commissioning of Omerelu Internal roads in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
The governor dared Ayu to show himself as a man of honour and integrity by fulfilling his promise that he would vacate the chairmanship seat if the northern region produces the presidential candidate of the party.
Wike said, “Somebody said those of you who said the right thing must be done are boys; they are children. You can imagine what power can do. You can imagine how ingratitude; how people can be ingrates.
“I thought as a chairman of a party who wants to win the election, your business is to bring peace to the party; your business is not to divide your party, your business is not to show arrogance.
“Dr Ayu said we are children. Yes, the children brought you to be chairman of the party, the children brought you from the gutter to make you chairman.
“Ayu, you were impeached as Senate President, Ayu you were sacked by (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo in his administration two times. Arrogance cannot take you anywhere.”
Wike said that the N14bn PDP made from the sale of forms for the party’s primaries last May must be judiciously used.
His comment is the latest in the calls for Ayu to quit the party’s chairmanship after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged as the presidential candidate of the PDP in May.