Children brought you from gutter to be PDP chairman – Wike fires back at Ayu

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike on Thursday fired back at the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Iyorchia Ayu for referring to some members of the party as children.

“These children you said we are, brought you from nothing,” Wike said during the commissioning of Omerelu Internal roads in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

“Somebody said those of you who said the right thing must be done are boys; they are children. You can imagine what power can do. You can imagine how the ingratitude; how people can be ingrates.

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

“Dr 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 Senate President, Ayu you were sacked by (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo in his administration two times. Arrogance cannot take you anywhere.”

Wike challenged Ayu to show himself as a man of honour and integrity by fulfilling his promise that he would vacate the chairmanship seat if the northern region produces the presidential candidate of the party.

Ayu had insisted that he will not succumb to calls from PDP members loyal to Wike for him to resign his position.

He said such calls are coming from political amateurs who lack a basic understanding of PDP’s principles, saying he was elected by Nigerians and PDP members based on PDP’s guidelines.

According to reports, after losing the PDP presidential primary to former Vice Presidential Atiku Abubakar (from Adamawa State); Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, outlined conditions for remaining within the party.

One of the reported conditions is that Ayu, who hails from Benue State, also in northern Nigeria, must resign.

But in his response, Ayu stressed that he will not resign because some people are not comfortable with having him around.

“I was voted as PDP national chairman to serve for four years, I am not even a year old on the position,” Ayu said during an interview with BBC Hausa.

“Atiku’s victory at the national primaries has no nothing to do with the party’s leadership; I was the bonafide winner of the election. We acted within the dictates of the PDP constitution.

“I have not violated any rules; in fact, I am working to bring reforms to the party. I am truly not bothered by the unnecessary controversy being generated.”