The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Iyorchia Ayu has been hit with weightier allegations of fraud in recent revelations by party stakeholders.
Driving the news
In Thursday’s revelation, four members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP released public statements rejecting suspicious funds respectively paid into their accounts. The money refunded to the party by the four members of the Ayu-led NWC totaled over N122 million.
- The party members who returned the money includes the National Vice Chairman (South-West) Olasoji Adagunodo, the Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja; National Vice Chairman (South), Chief Dan Orbih and National Women Leader, Prof. Stella Affah-Attoe.
- The NWC members refunded the suspicious funds with customized messages to the party chairman clearing their names of any ties to corrupt practices.
Quick background to the story
The governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike recently accused the party chairman (Ayu) of receiving N1 billion from a presidential aspirant in the party. He further stated that the PDP National chairman failed to remit the money he received in Lagos State to the party’s account. And tagged him as a corrupt leader.
Based on the long war between Wike and Ayu since the presidential primaries which produced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential flag bearer of the party, many categorized the allegations as the governor’s personal vendetta against the National chairman.
Recent revelations by the members of the NWC might just prove that Gov Nyesom Wike was right after all.
The big picture
Going into the election season and with the commencement of campaign season, these sorts of allegations harm the public image of the party.
What you should know
There has been no counter claim by either Ayu or the leadership of the party for either the allegations made by Gov. Wike or the NWC members.