Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP’s national chairman, has responded to social media speculation that he met with Governor Wike in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, January 4.
Ayu, speaking through his media aide Simon Imobo-Tswam, denied meeting the Rivers governor in Port Harcourt or elsewhere.
The PDP national chairman is at the center of the opposition party’s crisis after refusing to accede to G5 Governors’ demand for his resignation.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, has denied meeting with Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, in Port Harcourt, amid an internal crisis rocking the opposition party ahead of the 2023 general election.
A photo had gone viral on social media, claiming that Ayu had traveled to Port Harcourt to meet with Wike.
The national chairman of the PDP is at the heart of the party’s crisis.
Wike and other G5 Governors had demanded Ayu’s resignation in order for a southerner to take over after Atiku Abubakar, another northerner, emerged as the party’s presidential candidate.
However, he (Ayu) refused to resign, prompting Wike and his allies to withdraw their support for Atiku.
Ayu claims that he has not recently met with Wike.
In response to social media speculation that he met with Wike, Ayu stated that he had no meeting with the Rivers governor in Port Harcourt or anywhere else in Nigeria on Wednesday, January 4.
According to Vanguard, the PDP chairman spoke in Abuja on Wednesday through his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam.
Imobo-Tswam claimed the speculation was the work of slanderers, adding that Ayu had not seen Wike in a while.
“Dr. Ayu states clearly that:
1. He never travelled to Port Harcourt and
2. He has not set eyes on Gov. Wike lately.
“The photograph trending on the social media is an old one. The story accompanying it is, therefore, false and mischievous,”
the statement read.
Ayu enjoying New Year Break with family, says Imobo-Tswam
Imobo-Tswam further said his principal, Ayu, is not embattled, adding that the PDP national chairman is enjoying the New Year Break with his family.
He urged members of the general public, especially members of the PDP, to ignore the story and focus on the 2023 general election.