Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has taken a swipe at the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, over his statement against Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
Ayu had said he had the power to stop Ortom and others from contesting the 2023 elections.
Also Read: I Can Stop Ortom, Others From Contesting For Election – Ayu
But Wike, while briefing newsmen at his private residence in Port Harcourt on Sunday said Ayu lacks integrity, describing him as corrupt.
He said, “The statement credited to the PDP National Chairman that he has the right to stop any candidate from contesting election is very unfortunate. Nobody said that Ayu should be sacked.
“By our constitution, there is zoning for political parties. There is no way a party candidate and the National Chairman of a party can come from the same place. Nobody is interested in sacking Dr Iyorchia Ayu what we are saying is that the National Chairman of PDP should concede to the agreement reached that he should resign the moment the presidential candidate emerged.
“I heard when he said that he would have stopped Ortom from contesting, a man that brought you and pleaded that you should be made Chairman. Ortom stood as a guarantee for Ayu to become the National Chairman of the PDP. I dare Ayu to stop anybody from contesting the election.
“I dare him to come to Rivers State and stop any candidate from contesting the election. Do we really want to win election? The party is really in a dilemma. The presidential candidate of the party comes from the north and if you said that you will not keep to the agreement so be it. I will not be a party to anybody that wants to use me to be relevant.
“I have been in PDP and have never left the party. I dare him, Ayu, again to stop any candidate from contesting an election. He knows that he cannot do that he has no such power. Let him come to Rivers State and stop anybody. I dare him to do that,” Wike added.
