Ayu avoiding Wike’s corruption allegation – Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, the Spokesperson for APC 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, on Friday slammed the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu, whom he said had ‘shamelessly’ avoided the corruption allegation levelled against him by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

Keyamo’s comment was a response to an earlier statement made by the Spokesperson for PDP 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, Dino Melaye, that the ruling APC is neither ready for election nor organised for governance

Recall that Wike had earlier challenged Ayu to explain the origin of the crisis in the PDP which he attributed to corruption within the party.

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According to Wike, “Ayu is corrupt. Quote me. I am a lawyer and I am the governor of Rivers State. Ayu collected N1 billion in Lagos. He told one of the PDP presidential aspirants before the primary that the governors were not ready to fund the party.”

“I know how the money was arranged and those involved in packaging the money. He collected the N1 billion. Let him come out to tell Nigerians it is not true and I will reveal more”.

While reacting to the PDP Presidential Spokesperson, Keyamo stated in a statement issued on Friday that it is on record that the PDP national chairman has shamelessly avoided the allegation to date.

“Our attention has been drawn to a statement by the PDP Campaign Council alleging that the APC is not ready to govern Nigeria,” the statement read.

“This most outlandish statement, coming from the PDP at a time it has become the theatre of the most absurd in this country, is most ironic and unfortunate.”

“Firstly, in the past few weeks, the PDP has entertained Nigerians with scandalous issues that show the party remains a clear and present danger or threat to Nigeria’s treasury and equity. In the last few days, the public space has been inundated with allegations made by no less a person than a prominent Governor of the PDP accusing its National Chairman of being patently corrupt and of collecting a bribe of N1 billion from one of its candidates.”

“The governor even threatened to ‘reveal more’ if there was a denial. The Party Chairman, Ayu, is yet to deny or debunk this allegation for fear of being stripped totally bare in public. Is this the party that claims it is ready for governance and that Nigerians can trust? A party without any iota of shame?

“Instead of hiding his head in shame, the same Ayu went on a bribing spree, crediting the accounts of members of the NWC in a desperate and laughable attempt to hang on to office. Is this the party Nigerians can trust? Is this the party ready to govern Nigeria?”

Reacting further to the PDP Campaign Council, Keyamo stated that there was a time when the nation was under the spell of the infamous ‘Dasukigate’ where money budgeted for national security was shared among party chieftains while Boko Haram wreaked havoc on the country.

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He said, “Our party, the APC, has shown its commitment to be fair to all regions in the country. Whilst the PDP was breaching its own Constitution on power rotation and fairness, the APC governors rose above primordial sentiments and rejected a move to Zone the APC Presidential ticket to the North, insisting that power must shift to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.”

“This is a party that believes in fairness and equity and all Nigerians can attest to that, “the Minister of State, Labour and Employment added.

Keyamo described the opposition party as a cacophony of sounds and fury that signifies nothing.