National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu has denied receiving N1billion from a Presidential Aspirant.
Ayu made the denial following several damming allegations from Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike that the National Chairman is very corrupt.
Addressing Journalists on Friday in Abuja Ayu said that the public denial became necessary following several allegations from Wike. He said that the party collected N100million from a governor with which they established a research centre, the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI). He equally denied that the party did not obtain any loan from a bank to fund its activities as alleged by Wike.
“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 has 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.
“On today’s allegations I fully briefed the BoT that one of our governors made a contribution of 100m for the revival of the PDI which was housed in a portacabin and I explained to them that we hired an appropriate place in Asokoro, we have furnished it, renovated it. Three days we went there, inspected it and the NWC decided that before commissioning we should invite the governor in question to come and inspect what we have done with his contribution. I am happy that the National Secretary of the party has since written a letter to that governor. I or the NWC has never took any money to carry out that renovation in fact we have not even exhausted that N100 million by one of the governors.
“The consistent attack on my person since the end of the convention on the 31st of May, I have refrained from reacting as the father of the party, I felt I should encourage reconciliation. But where it touches on my personal integrity or even my family members are brought into play, I appealed to such people to desist from trying to malign my character or bringing my family into party affairs” he said.
