‘Sue me if I’m lying’ — Wike insists Ayu took money made from primaries

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, has dared Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to head to court if he’s innocent of the corruption accusation levelled against him. 

The governor spoke on Saturday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium during the flag-off of the PDP state-level campaigns.

Wike and his allies have been asking for the resignation of Ayu on the basis that it violates the party’s constitution for the national chairman to hail from the same zone as the presidential candidate.

Ayu is from Benue in the north-central, while Atiku Abubakar, the PDP standard bearer, hails from Adamawa in Nigeria’s north-east.

In October, the Rivers governor had accused the PDP national chairman of being “very corrupt” and not being accountable for the money that enters the party’s coffers.

He alleged that Ayu received N1 billion from a presidential hopeful and another N100 million from a governor to do a project already paid for by the party.

But the PDP national chairman denied both claims.

However, at the flag-off, Wike reiterated the accusations, adding that Ayu is unfit to lead PDP’s campaign team.

“Nobody will listen to a campaign led by a corrupt man. Ayu is corrupt. Rivers people are hurt. Ayu, you are fighting corruption, how do you fight corruption? I said you took N1bn. I told you, you took the money we realised from the primaries. Ayu sue me!” Wike said.

“You cannot fight Rivers state and go free.

“Ayu, you cannot lead me or Rivers state to any campaign, because, you are very corrupt.”