Former plateau state governor and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Jonah Jang has exposed how that Iyorchia Ayu helped Atiku Abubakar to win the partys primary hich was held 28 may, 2022 against Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and other contestants.
Speaking after a meeting of some PDP members who are on the side of Governor Wike in Port Harcourt on Wednesday Jang said, Ayu is like a “referee who helped one of the sides to score a goal and blew the whistle that a goal had been scored.”
According to him, Ayu had a “private arrangement” with the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to shortchange Governor Nyesom Wike and other aspirants at the party presidential primary.
Recall that Tambuwal, who was one of the leading candidates, made a U-turn at the last minute of the primary, asking his supporters to cast their votes for Atiku after stepping down.
Atiku emerged winner due to Tambuwal’s last-minute support thus defeating Governor Wike and other aspirants to emerge as the party presidential candidate.
In the same vein, Jang recalled Ayu’s visit to Tambuwal’s Abuja residence hours after the primary apparently to thank him for the gesture of stepping down for Atiku and said it proved there was a private arrangement between both men.
“Thank you, thank you. You are the hero of the convention,” Ayu was seen telling his host in a video clip that captured his arrival at Tabuwal’s residence.
“For the National Chairman, Ayu, to go and embrace Aminu Tambuwal, calling him the hero of the convention which means there was a private arrangement that was done with Tambuwal to shortchange other contestants, including Governor Nyesom Wike.
“Here was a referee who now helped one of the sides to score a goal and then blew a whistle that a goal had been scored. This is not what we formed the PDP to do for Nigerians and therefore we unequivocally ask that Ayu has to step down,” Jang said.