Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has declared his support for the suspension of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu, from the party.
The executive committee of the PDP in Igyorov Ward of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, had suspended Ayu on Sunday, after passing a vote of no confidence on him over alleged anti-party activities.
Reacting to the development, Wike, who spoke on Monday on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, ‘Sunrise Daily’, which was monitored in Port Harcourt, stated that he supported the move because Ayu played a major role in the colossal failure of the PDP in the 2023 general elections.
The governor said: “I am in support of the suspension,” Wike replied when asked if he was behind the actions of the PDP officials in Benue State.
“In fact if he (Ayu) had left before now, they would have said he has left and that was why the PDP failed the election,” the governor buttressed his point.
“First of all, if you are a member of the party will you be happy with the way the party is today, it is only in this country that you see someone who has failed woefully and without any conscience would still like to occupy the position
“In advanced countries like you see and you are the head of the party, I feel like such a colossal failure you do not need anybody to tell you to turn in the towel
“So those in his ward from Benue are hungry, why are they angry before now Ayu ought to have left that office, people were saying we were pushing for Ayu to leave and that we had a hidden agenda to make PDP fail.
“Ayu remained and PDP didn’t win, you lost your unit as National Chairman you lost your ward, as National Chairman you lost your Local government, as National Chairman of the party not only did you take a distant third in the presidential election you also lost in the state gubernatorial election,” Wike explained.
He said stakeholders who have the PDP’s interest at heart, cannot sit back and watch it be destroyed in the hands of individuals who have nothing attached to the party.
Wike stated that no one can take directives from a politician who could not deliver his ward and was not able to ensure the party was successful at his local government and state level.