Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu for failing to deliver his state, Benue for the party.
It would be recalled that Governor Wike and Senator Ayu have been at loggerheads following the former’s demand that the latter relinquish his position. In the build-up to the February 25 presidential election, Wike’s G-5 failed to back the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Meanwhile, Governor Wike, and other members of the aggrieved PDP governors including Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), had argued that both the party’s Chairman and flag bearer cannot come from the same northern region of the country.
After Ayu took over the leadership of PDP in October 2021, the party was hopeful that the former Senate President would lead the main opposition party to victory in the 2023 general polls. However, he failed to deliver as the party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar only captured 12 states.
Of the 12 states where Atiku polled 6,984,520 votes, Benue was however not captured for the PDP as the majority of the people voted for Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Tinubu who scored 8,794,726 votes came out tops in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states and secured significant numbers in several other states to emerge as President-Elect.
Addressing selected journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Governor Wike said Ayu could not even win his polling unit for the PDP.
“What can the National Chairman tell me now when he could not deliver his state? He could not deliver his polling unit?” he queried.
“A small circle of people, you can’t control them. You lost and you say you are the National Chairman. If you have lost it in our states, it is the states that will make the ‘national’ thick. Without the state, you can’t be strong”, Governor Wike added.
