(BREAKING): Ayu Ungrateful, Arrogant, Says Wike

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Friday, September 2nd, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has slammed the National Chairman of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Iyorchia Ayu for describing him and members of his team as children.

Wike, who took exemption to Ayu’s remarks that Governors demanding his resignation were children when they formed the PDP, said the party helmsman has displayed the highest level of ingratitude.

He reminded Ayu that those he referred to as children were the ones who made him PDP Chairman.

Describing Ayu as arrogant, the Governor alleging the PDP chair was fixated on the N14bn the PDP raised during primaries and desired to be the manager of the money.

He said those Ayu addressed as boys would teach him a lesson saying “election is not always the way you look at it”.

He said Ayu was impeached as a Senate President, sacked twice by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and later abandoned the party for the defunct Action Congress(AC) insisting that Ayu had no moral right to claim that he founded the PDP.

Wike wondered how Ayu, who left the party would later return to refer to those, who stood up and ensured the sustenance of the PDP as inconsequential and “boys”.

While further describing Ayu as a man without integrity, Wike said the PDP chairman could not keep a promise he made before his emergence.

He said part of the reasons, Ayu had refused to resign his position was because of the N14bn the party raised after primaries, saying the party chairman desired to be the manager of the funds.

Referring to him as a prodigal father, said Nigerians would not be convinced to choose PDP as their vehicle with a driver like Ayu, whom he described as lacking integrity.

Wike said: “it is unfortunate today someone said where were you when we founded the party? That those of you who said the right thing must be done are boys, children. You can imagine what power can do. You can imagine high ingratitude. How people can be ingrate in their lives.

“I thought as a chairman of a party, who wants to win elections, your business is to bring peace to your party. Your business is not to divide your party. Your business is not to show arrogance to your party.

“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 the Senate President. Ayu you were sacked by Obasanjo in his administration two times.

“Arrogance cannot take you to anywhere. Now we have seen that you don’t want the party to win election, we will help you; these children you say we are, these boys we are that brought you from nothing I say from nothing.

“Ayu you said you founded this party, but you left the party in 2007. You founded a company, you left the company, people stood and brought the company to what it is today. You have no moral right to still claim that you founded that company. You left with your shares. Other shareholders have come in.

“You want to show integrity. You want to show a party to Nigeria that we want to take over. You must convince Nigerians that you have integrity. You are the driver that will drive the vehicle to convey us to where we are looking for. If the driver has no integrity, if the driver cannot show honesty, how do you convince Nigerians?

“We were not the ones, who said, Ayu you were the one who said and that is what we talk about integrity. You said when so so thing happens, I will do so so thing. Now what you said has happened. Why not show as a man of honour, as a man of integrity by telling Nigerians what I promise you I will do, now I have come to do.

“If now you told Nigerians something and would not do it is it when you enter into power that you will do it? On your own volition, you were the one who spoke to Nigerians”.

Wike recalled how they championed the zoning of the party chairmanship to the north against all odds and how they chose Ayu as its national chairman.

He said: “We are the ones who championed that the chairmanship should be zoned to the north. Even though most of my colleagues from the south refused it. People like our leader, Bode George is here. He was one of those, who said look, this is what ought to be done and should be done.

“Ayu, where were you? You were sleeping in your house. You were calling me virtually every second per second, thanking me. Haba! You said I am a boy, Seyi Makinde is a boy, Ortom, your brother, who signed on your behalf is a boy. Abia is a boy. Enugu is a boy.

“Today, all those who brought you as a chairman are all boys. Nigerians have seen how ungrateful some of you can be. That is why Nigerians also need to be careful. If you give this man power, if you give these people power, are you sure they will also be grateful to Nigerians?

“As you make your bed so you lie on it. It is not me. I have kept quiet thinking that we will reconcile. Now that you have brought arrogance to say you were elected, where did you campaign? Show me where your poster was anywhere in this state. Even though we gave you money to go and do poster, you put it in your pocket. It is unfortunate”.

Wike insisted that after his project commissioning and inauguration, he would disclose to Nigerians what Ayu told them adding that characters like Ayu should not be entrusted with power.

He said: “I say I will not speak until after commissioning projects. I will tell Nigerians what you told us at the appropriate time. Nigerians should know the kind of characters that want to come into power. It is not using Nigerians.

“I am not interested in chairman, what I am interested in is fulfill what you said. That is all. Stop using Nigerians. You think you are smart. You used us. No problem. Nigerians are waiting. Nigerians are watching.

The Nation