Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has pledged to remove Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu from his office.
Wike said on Monday at the inauguration of a secondary school in Okoro-nu-Odo, Obio-Akpor LGA of Rivers, that Ayu’s leadership style was to blame for the party’s loss in the presidential election.
Wike stated that Ayu could not win his LGA for the PDP and that the party will not let him continue as its leader.
“(You) lost in your unit, lost in your ward, lost in your local government, and lost in your state. Which party will you preside over now? Those of you who fight that they have suspended him (Ayu) — you have seen nothing yet,” the governor said.
“Ayu, the fight has just started. If you know him — those of you who are close to him — tell Iyorchia Ayu (that) the fight has just started.”
Wike said states, where PDP won the governorship election, cannot fund the party, while Ayu who lost Benue to the All Progressives Congress (APC) will continue to act as chairman.
“You want to preside over this state (Rivers) so that we will donate money to the party? Bring your own state (Benue) to the party too so that your state can contribute money to the party. If you don’t deliver your state, you can’t preside over us. You cannot,” he said.
Wike also warned party members not to protest Ayu’s ward executives’ suspension.
On Sunday, the executive members of Benue state’s Igyorov ward, Gboko LGA, voted no confidence in Ayu for suspected anti-party activities.
According to party executives, Ayu worked against the PDP’s triumph in his ward and did not vote in the March 18 gubernatorial and the house of assembly elections.
In response to the suspension, Imobo-Tswam, Ayu’s media aide, stated in a statement issued on Monday that only the party’s highest decision-making organ, the national executive committee (NEC), may suspend a national chairperson.
Meanwhile, an interim ruling prohibiting Ayu from operating as national chairman has been issued by a high court in Benue state.
