N122m ‘gifts’ to NWC members: Ayu must resign now, says PDP Chieftains

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

The alleged financial scandal rocking the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Working Committee has yet to be resolved.

Some party leaders renewed their call for the resignation of National Chairman Sen. Iyorchia Ayu on Friday.

Senator Olaka Nwogu and Mohammed Jamo, who appeared on Channels Television’s political program Politics Today, said the scandal over the suspicious payment of sums ranging from N26-N35 million into the personal accounts of NWC members as housing allowance was enough reason for him to resign. Members who returned the money to party coffers, claiming they did not apply for it, received about N122 million.

“I’m outraged and embarrassed at this time, my party is not the issue, the issue is the National Chairman, the issue is the NWC,” Olaka said. Governor Nyesom Wike spoke to the media and stated that the N14 billion in party funds is the goal, and that this is the reason for Ayu’s steadfast determination to remain in office.

“What is now emerging is that some NWC members are seeing less than N1 billion of that money just as they are beginning to ask questions and receive alerts.”

“They claim that the NWC never met to decide that people should be paid that amount.” They did not apply for a loan, and if it was supposed to be housing, they already have homes in Abuja. Ayu should resign and apologize to the party and Nigerians.

He pointed out that the National Chairman of the PDP’s approval limit was N10 million, while the Secretary’s was N5 million, and that anything above that should have gone to the National Executive Committee.

Because of Ayu, we lost Obi and Kwankwaso.

Similarly, Jamo challenged the party leadership to come clean by providing evidence of the meeting as well as vouchers approving the payment of the funds in dispute to NWC members.

He contended that the PDP could not talk about fighting corruption at the national level without also fighting purging.

Jamo also blamed Ayu’s “poor leadership” for the resignations of the Labour Party’s Peter Obi and the New Nigeria People’s Party’s Rabiu Kwankwaso as presidential candidates.

He stated, “The PDP is the main opposition party; the two other political parties arose as a result of Mr Iyorchia Ayu’s incapacity as Chairman of the PDP.”

“We lost Peter Obi under his watch, and Kwankwaso under his watch.” If he had done well and Obi and Kwankwaso were in the PDP, the election in 2023 would have been a cakewalk for us. Ayu should leave.”