Wike Thunders, Ayu Can’t Stop Anyone From Contesting 2023 Polls

BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has dared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu to stop any Party’s candidate from contesting the 2023 elections and face dire consequences.

According to Governor Wike, the PDP National Chairman has no power to stop any candidate from contesting an election, warning that any attempt to tow such ill-advised path would be disastrous for the nation’s main opposition party

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Sunday, the governor described as daydreaming Ayu’s claims that being the National Chairman, he has the right to stop those fighting him from contesting the 2023 election.

The Rivers Chief Executive, who was reacting to comments credited to PDP Chairman, said; “The statement credited to the PDP National Chairman that he has the right to stop any candidate from contesting election is very unfortunate.

“Nobody said that Ayu should be sacked. By our constitution, there is zoning for political parties. There is no way a party candidate and the National Chairman of a party can come from the same place.

“Nobody is interested in sacking Dr Iyorchia Ayu what we are saying is that the National Chairman of PDP should concede to the agreement reached that he should resign the moment the presidential candidate emerged.

”Nobody said he is sacking anybody. What we are saying is that he should keep to the agreement. If you said that you are not keeping to the promise, no problem. I heard when he said that he would have stopped Ortom from contesting, a man that brought you and pleaded that you should be made Chairman.

“Governor Ortom stood as a guarantee for Ayu to become the National Chairman of the PDP. I dare Ayu to stop anybody from contesting the election. I dare him to come to Rivers State and stop any candidate from contesting the election.

“Do we really want to win election? The party is really in a dilemma. The presidential candidate of the party comes from the north and if you said that you will not keep to the agreement so be it. I will not be a party to anybody that wants to use me to be relevant.

“I have been in PDP and have never left the party. I dare him, Ayu, again to stop any candidate from contesting an election.

“He knows that he cannot do that he has no such power. Let him come to Rivers State and stop anybody. I dare him to do that”, Governor Wike charged