‘You can’t preside over Rivers as PDP national chairman, the fight has just started,’ Wike tells Ayu

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, has vowed to ensure that Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is removed from his position.

Wike made this known while speaking at the inauguration of a secondary school in Okoro-nu-Odo, Obio-Akpor local government area of the state on Monday, March 27.

The governor, who is one of the aggrieved PDP governors, known as G5, claimed that Ayu’s leadership style caused the defeat of the major opposition party in the February 25 presidential election.

Wike said that, “Ayu lost in his polling unit, lost in his ward, lost in his local government, and lost in his state (Benue state).

“Which party will you preside over now? Those of you who are fighting that they have suspended him Ayu,—you have not seen anything yet.

“Ayu, the fight has just started. If you know him, especially those of you who are close to him, tell Ayu that the fight has just started.

“You want to preside over Rivers state so that we will donate money to the party? That will never happen.

“If you can’t deliver your state to PDP, you can’t preside over us in Rivers. You cannot,” he added.

Wike also cautioned party members against protesting Ayu’s suspension by his ward executives.

Recall that the executive members of Igyorov ward, Gboko LGA of Benue state, on Sunday, March 27, passed a vote of no confidence on Ayu over alleged anti-party activities.

The party executives claimed that Ayu worked against the success of the PDP in his ward and did not vote in the March 18 governorship and the house of assembly election.

However, Ayu, in a statement issued by his media aide, Imobo-Tswam, on Monday afternoon, said that only the national executive committee (NEC), which is the highest decision-making organ of the party, can suspend a national chairman.

Meanwhile, a high court in Benue state, on Monday, granted an interim order restraining Ayu from acting as the national chairman of the PDP.

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