2023 Presidency: ‘Ayu Is Corrupt, Was Paid N1 Billion Bribe To Make Room For Atiku’ – Wike Alleges

Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, claims that Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP’s national chairman, received N1 billion from a presidential candidate in Lagos while working to promote Atiku Abubakar as the party’s nominee.

The claim was made by Wike in a media interview that was aired on Friday. 

The Governor of Rivers accused Mr. Ayu of obtaining the aforementioned sum on the grounds that the governors of the party were unwilling to provide financial support for the party. 

“Ayu is corrupt. Quote me. I am a lawyer and I am the governor of Rivers State,” Mr Wike alleged. “Can Ayu deny that he did not collect one billion naira from Lagos. He told one of the PDP presidential aspirants before the primaries that the governors were not ready to fund the party.”

Mr Wike said he knows “how the money was arranged and those involved in packaging the money. He collected one billion.” Let him come out to tell Nigerians it is not true and I will reveal more,” the governor threatened.

Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, defeated Mr. Wike for the PDP presidential nomination in the party’s primary vote in May. He claimed that Mr. Ayu arranged for other candidates to withdraw in favour of Mr. Atiku in order to plan the defeat.

According to People Gazette, Wike insisted that the party’s current organizational structure has been undermined because some leaders have been given positions in a government that will be formed following an election that has not yet been won.

Wike and his allies, including Oyo governor Seyi Makinde, have been unwavering in their demand that Mr. Ayu be removed from office. They claim that would make up for the “injustice” done to the South.

The governor contests the notion that his recent outbursts against the party were motivated by resentment over not receiving the presidential nomination. 

His only regret, he claimed, was that he wouldn’t be able to address insecurity the way he had intended.

“I feel pain for not being given the opportunity to fight bandits, I feel pain for not having the opportunity to fight oil theft,” Mr Wike said.

“If there are two things I promised myself I am going to do is to take insecurity head on and the issues of oil theft that’s affecting our economy as of today,” he added.