A chieftain of opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, Reno Omokri has punctured some claims and allegations Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State made against the embattled National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
The Nigerian author also debunked other allegations made against the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar.
Omokri raised 10 issues in a reaction to Wike’s claims and allegations, which he described as “fallacies from Wike’s media chat on the artificial PDP crisis,” said only the constitution of the party should determine the fate of the Senator Ayu, and not any other consideration.
He said, “the Governor of Rivers state, and an esteemed member of our party, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike addressed the press on current issues within our party, and in the encounter he made some utterances which are fallacious.
“I believe he did not lie. It may just be a case that, because of the task of running a very successful state, like Rivers, his memory may have failed him. So I have written the below to refresh his memory.”
While he maintained that embattled National Chairman, Senator Ayu, never promised to resign if a Northern Presidential candidate is elected, reminded Wike that Ayu had rather openly said “on video that he would resign if the PDP asked him to.”
Omokri then queried, “Since the PDP NEC passed a vote of confidence in him, why should he resign?”
Among the 10 fallacies he claimed Wike made in his media chat were that; the PDP did not jettison zoning in favour of the North adding that zoning was jettisoned in favour of the South. “The last PDP President is from the South. By virtue of the party’s Constitution and tradition, the next President should come from the North.
“If Wike has evidence that the Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, is not a trustworthy character, he should provide such to the police and other law enforcement agencies.”
The Rivers State governor, had earlier in his media briefing, alleged the Ayu manipulated the process of the party’s presidential primary/national convention in favour of Atiku, claiming that he called several aspirants to withdraw for Atiku.
But Omokri faulted the assertion adding that PDP presidential primaries were not flawed. “They were transparent and watched live on TV by Nigerians. A winner emerged. Many also did not win. Saraki, Tambuwal, Mohammed, Hayatudeen, Dele Momodu, Anyim, Fayose, Emmanuel, Momodu and others have not complained of any untoward happenings.”
On other issues, he said “If the Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, convened any illegal meetings in the house of retired generals, then proof of that should be tendered by the one making the allegations.
“How can a man who almost single handedly installed the last two PDP chairmen and many members of the NEC call the same party “arrogant”? If an engineer builds a house and calls it ugly, what is he inevitably saying about himself?
“Wike says Waziri Atiku is surrounding himself with people without much political value, why is he resisting joining the PCC. We need Wike because he obviously has much political value.”
Omokri, however, noted that no member of the party was more important but every member of the party was important.
“The Peoples Democratic Party has a NEC. The NEC can discipline any member according to the Constitution of the party. Every member of the party is a vital picture, but no member is the big picture.
“The PDP Constitution should determine the fate of the Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.”