By Akinwale Kasali

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has taken a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, saying he assisted Ayu in getting to the PDP Chairmanship seat.

Wike, on Thursday, slammed the National Chairman of the PDP saying that Ayu, was showing “ingratitude” and “arrogance” after what he did for him.

In his words, “These children you said we are, brought you from nothing,” Governor Wike had said during the commissioning of Omerelu Internal roads in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

Wike challenged Ayu to show himself as a man of honour and integrity by fulfilling his promise that he would vacate the chairmanship seat if the northern region produces the presidential candidate of the party.

The controversial PDP Governor said, “Somebody said those of you who said the right thing must be done are boys, they are children. You can imagine what power can do. You can imagine how ingratitude, how people can be ingrates.

“I thought as a chairman of a party who wants to win the election, your business is to bring peace to the party; your business is not to divide your party, your business is not to show arrogance.

“Dr Ayu said we are children. Yes, the children brought you to be chairman of the party, the children brought you from the gutter to make you chairman.

“Ayu, you were impeached as Senate President, Ayu you were sacked by (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo in his administration two times. Arrogance cannot take you anywhere.”

The former Minister said that the PDP Chairman does not have the party’s interest but was only concerned with spending the N14 billion proceed realized from the 2022 primaries conducted across the country, to his benefit.

He added that Ayu’s intention is to ensure that he has a large share of the funds in PDP’s coffers, and making sure it is diverted into his private account.

“Ayu is not concern about the progress of the Party, particularly, reclaiming all elective public offices in other parties, he is just a prodigal father that cannot be trusted with any important task”.

He however warned that PDP may suffer major setbacks during next year’s general election should the party allow Ayu to continue administering the party’s affairs across the country.

The governor stressed that his grievances against the PDP national chairman were not personal but in the interest of the hundreds of members that have been allegedly marginalized by Ayu’s leadership style since his assumption of office.