Chairman of PDP admits collecting N100m from a governor, clarifies N1 billion accusation
Dr Iyorchia Ayu, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has admitted to receiving N100 million from a sitting Governor in the party.
Ayu admitted this after Governor Nyesom Wike claimed at a press conference today that he (Ayu) collected N100 million naira from a Governor for the renovation of the PDP’s Democratic Institute and then returned to the PDP NWC to accept another N100 million naira for the same job.
Wike also claimed that Ayu took N1 billion from a presidential candidate in Lagos.
Responding to reporters’ questions following a meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, Ayu stated that the N1 billion issue arose when he took office and needed money to get started.
He said they initially wanted to take a loan but didn’t go forward with it.
He said, “This is a meeting of the BoT which I am only a member, as allegations persist, it is an opportunity to clear the air. I decided not to respond and not to encourage altercations at the party.
“However, I want to make it clear that at no time did I, as the National Chairman of the party, collect any N1bn from anybody.
“When we came in and the party was having funding difficulties, the presidential candidate suggested that we should take a loan from the bank and the owner of that bank is a member of the party, he has even left the party.
“The party never took any loan from anybody. Any money advanced to the party was declared before the NWC and handed over to the National Treasurer.
“All our accounts are up to date and we promised to publish the accounts at the end of the year.“
Ayu admitted collecting N100m from a PDP Governor but insisted that the money was judiciously used for the renovation of the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) which will be commissioned soon.
The PDP Chairman added that the money has not been exhausted and a letter had been dispatched to the said governor to come and see what it was used for.
