‘Nothing To Say’- Atiku, Ayu Keep Mum Over N1 Billion Bribe Allegation

It has been 48 hours since the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, accused the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, of collecting N1 billion bribe from an unnamed presidential aspirant of the party in Lagos.

Wike also alleged that Atiku was aware and confronted Ayu, who confirmed to him that he indeed collected the money.

The governor was speaking on Friday during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The former Minister of State for Education also said Ayu did not pay the money into the PDP account.

Describing Ayu as very corrupt, Wike said, “Will he deny the fact that he did collect N1 billion from Lagos? Not Lagos State Government but from Lagos.

“He met one of the presidential aspirants and told him that he is not sure these governors will want to sponsor the party.

“Let Ayu say no. I will even call some of the businessmen and how the money was arranged in Lagos.

“That money did not enter into the account of the PDP. But we are not attacking Ayu on that basis. We are attacking Ayu (for refusing to resign).”

He doubled down on his accusation when pressed to substantiate it, saying, “I’m not anyhow governor…I am a serious governor. I’m a very important governor. I can’t just come here and begin to say anything. I said, I challenge (Ayu) and let him deny this and we will say more.

“We were invited to a meeting in London by the presidential candidate. We were five governors. Governor of Adamawa, who is the governor of the presidential candidate, Governor Ortom, Governor Seyi Makinde, Governor Ikpeazu and myself.

“The presidential candidate told us in truth that he has confronted Ayu on this statement and Ayu said yes.

“He now said what do we do and I said, ‘Sir, I won’t be here if we were not interested in winning this election. You didn’t pay for my flight to this place. Why will I spend so much money? But because we believed this party has to win the election, everything must be done, sacrifices must be made in order for us to win the election.” We sat down and he agreed with us that Ayu had to go.

“He now asked us to give him one week to work out the modalities of Ayu’s going. Now let Governor Fintiri, who is the governor of Adamawa tell Nigerians that it is not true.”

Neither Ayu nor Atiku has reacted to the specific allegation.

When the spokesman of the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation, Daniel Bwala, spoke on Friday, he rather responded to the mockery by the All Progressives Congress, APC, soon after Wike’s accusation.

Bwala advised the APC to concentrate on fixing its rot as the party was unraveling.

He accused the APC of failing in all fronts but was “discussing PDP affair like a meddlesome interloper,” wondering why APC would be “prescribing medication for the very ailment killing” it.

When contacted on Sunday afternoon, Simon Peter, the media aide to Ayu said there was no need for Ayu to react.

When pressed if that won’t amount to admitting that he collected the bribe, he added that, “The party has reacted. The candidate (Atiku Abubakar) has reacted.

“There’s nothing else to say.”

When he was reminded that Atiku did not address the issue and the party has not as well, he maintained that, “There’s nothing else to say.”

The crisis in the party began after Wike felt aggrieved that Ayu compromised the electoral system that produced Atiku as the presidential candidate.

Wike, who came second in the May presidential primary election thereafter demanded that Ayu must step down after being overlooked as the party’s vice presidential candidate.

His camp, made up of top party members, has said the National Chairman of the party must come from the South West for equity and inclusiveness since the presidential candidate is from the North, just like the National Chairman and until recently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party.

Atiku has however maintained that the party’s constitution must be followed to remove Ayu.

At last week’s meeting of the Wike camp, it resolved to abstain from the presidential campaign of the party until Ayu steps down.