Wike Charges Ayu to Prove Character as a man of Honour

Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, criticised Iyorchia Ayu, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday for acting “ingratitude” and “arrogant” after receiving help to gain the position.

“These children, you said we are, brought you from nothing,” the governor said during the commissioning of Omerelu Internal roads in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

Wike tasked Ayu with proving his character as a man of honour and integrity by keeping his vow to resign as chairman if the party’s northern area delivers the nominee for president.

“Somebody said those who said the right thing must be done are boys; they are children. You can imagine what power can do. You can imagine how the 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.”

Additionally, he stated that the N14 billion PDP earned from the sale of registration forms for the party’s primaries last May must be spent wisely.

His remarks are the most recent in a string of requests for Ayu to step down as party leader after Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president from Adamawa State, was announced as the PDP’s presidential candidate in May.

Ayu, a native of the northern Nigerian state of Benue, had previously stated in October that he would step down as chairman if the area produced the PDP presidential candidate. But he declared he wouldn’t step down on Wednesday.