Stealing Not Among My Many Faults, Ayu Replies Wike

National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyorcha Ayu has replied Governor Nyesom Wike telling him that even though he has many faults but that he is certainly not a thief.

Ayu spoke against the background of allegations that he paid out hush money to members of the PDP National Working Committee, NWC as a way of securing himself over allegations of blowing the party’s estimated N15 billion harvested from the sale of nomination forms.

Ayu opened himself up when he received the Forum of Elected Ex-Officio Members of the party who paid him a solidarity visit at the PDP National Headquarters, on Friday.

A statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Communications), Simon Imobo-Tswam disclosed that he had instructed the Finance Department to maintain and update the party’s income and expenditure account for presentation to the Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) at the first-year anniversary of the present NWC in December.

While noting that he may have many faults, Ayu rebuffed the claim by Wike that he is also a thief.

He said:

“The PDP was not founded to be in opposition. We founded the party to access power and develop the country. And my historic task is to return the party to power. I won’t be Chairman forever. For now, my preoccupation is to return the Party to power. I did not come to steal. My public service record is there.

“I have been a leader of the National Assembly. I have been a minister many times. As a person, I have many faults, but stealing is not one of them. I am conscious of my place in history, and the NWC that I lead is guided by the twin principles of transparency and accountability.

“You may be reading many things and expecting my reaction. If we don’t always talk, it is because we want to maintain and build cohesion in the party. We don’t want continuous altercations in the PDP Family. Our eyes are on the big picture i.e. winning the 2023 general elections.”

“Therefore, let us not lose focus. Let us keep our eyes glued to the big picture. Everything else is secondary. We took office because there was a crisis in the party.

“And we don’t want to keep moving from crisis to crisis. It’s not good for the party. We can’t be in perpetual crises, especially where the crisis is artificial.

He added: “The NWC met and discussed the issue of Housing Allowance. It was unanimously agreed that no bribe or any form of illegality took place. A statement has since been issued to that effect. The matter has now been laid to rest.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Forum, Hon. Yunana Iliya, said the members were at the party secretariat to express solidarity with the National Chairman and pledged their unalloyed loyalty to the Ayu-led NWC.

“We stand by the recent Vote of Confidence passed on you by the highest decision-making body of the party, the National Executive Committee (NEC), and we urge all party faithful to close ranks in PDP’s rescue work,” he added.

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