PDP bans Wike, others from granting media interviews
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has banned Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, and other party leaders, from making further inflammatory remarks or granting press interviews on the crisis rocking the party.
The party’s decision is contained in a communique read by Sen Adolphus Wabara, its Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) following a recommendation by a six-member special committee.
“In the same vein, the BoT Chairman has been authorised to offer apologies on behalf of all members, who feel maligned or aggrieved by the public statements made by its members across the country that has sharpen the current division in the party.”
The committee also recommended that the BoT should to visit and reconcile aggrieved members of the party.
The report of the committee was submitted to BoT members who met on Friday to take a decision on the lingering crisis.
Wabara also called on the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum to convene a meeting of the governors without further delay.
The communiqué, however, advised “all the leaders of the party to match words with action, and where commitments are made to unconditionally fulfill same.”
It also called on the National Chairman “as an eminent leader, to give a firm assurance that he would resign his position after the 2023 elections.
The BoT also called on Atiku to review appointments of members of the campaign council and other advisory appointments to make it all inclusive.
“The BoT will refer some of these recommendations for noting and appropriate action to NEC of our party in due course,” the communiqué added.”
Meanwhile, PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, has said that the allegation against him by Gov Wike that he fraudulently collected N1 billion from an APC presidential aspirant was false.
Ayu, who spoke for the first time since the crisis in the party took a different turn, explained that the party had funding difficulties, when the present NWC assumed office.
He said that following the financial challenge, Atiku Abubakar, who is now the PDP 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 promise to publish the accounts at the end of the year.”
Ayu also defended the N100 million for the revival of the PDI, disclosing that the PDI was housed in a portacabin, but the NWC “hired an appropriate place in Asokoro.
He explained that the money was given to the party by one of its governors, but denied that the NWC released same amount for the same purpose.
“We have furnished it, renovated it,” Ayu, a former President of the Senate, added.
