By Eseoghene Emuke
A prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Chief (Dr.) Morrison Olori, has slammed the national chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu and the Vice Presidential candidate of the party for the 2023 Presidential Election, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, for their open display of personal interest in the crisis rocking governorship ticket of the party in Delta.
Chief Olori particularly berated Ayu for filing an appeal challenging the judgement of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court which disqualified the Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Delta.
The court presided over by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in the judgement, however declared a former Principal Secretary to late President Musa Yar’Adua and one of the governorship aspirants, Olorogun David Edevbie as the candidate of the party.
Following the judgement which declared Edevbie, a former Delta commissioner for finance, as the candidate of the PDP for the 2023 governorship election in the state, Ayu-led PDP filed an appeal challenging the ruling.
Speaking through a statement on recent happenings within the party, Dr. Olori, a senior chief of the revered Ughelli Kingdom, said Ayu’s decision to challenge the ruling was unwarranted when the parties involved in the case are all members of the party.
The Urhobo-born technocrat accused the PDP national chairman of corruption, stressing that his decision to opposed the judgement is a clear testament that he had been induced by Governor Okowa, who doubled as the running mate to the Presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Olori appealed to critical stakeholders of the party including governors of the PDP and national caucus of the party to call Senator Ayu to order before he buried the party in the state.
While also taking a swipe at the governor of the Delta (Okowa), the PDP chieftain accused Okowa of being behind the crisis rocking the governorship ticket of the party in the state.
He further urged PDP national chairman and Governor Okowa to save the party from unwarranted crisis by accepting the judgement of the Abuja Federal High Court which affirmed Olorogun Edevbie as the candidate of the party.
The statement titled, “Sen. Iyorchia Ayu Is A Corrupt Leader”, Olori said, “Senator Iyorchia Ayu is all out to sink PDP in Delta state.”
According to him, “Let us take a case study of what is happening in Delta state PDP. Whereby Sen. Iyorchia Ayu does not care about settling the issue rather takes a self-centered decision because he is corrupt. He had pocketed good money so he is dancing to the music of just one man as against the success of the Delta State PDP.
However, let me state here that, Governors, leaders as well as stakeholders of PDP should as a matter of urgent call the National chairman of our party to order immediately.
The choice H. E. Atiku as PDP presidential candidate is a good one especially now that Nigerians have seen the hardship that APC had brought to Nigeria, but what is rubbing Atiku’s chance of becoming the next president of Nigeria is all caused by the corruption of Sen Iyorchia Ayu’s negative decision.”
On the crisis rocking the governorship ticket of the PDP in Delta, the party leader added, “Let it be made known to the world that all the nonsense that is happening in Delta state PDP is a script written by H. E Gov Okowa, edited by the PDP National chairman and played by Gov Okowa appointees all because of corruption.
Sen.Iyorchia Ayu flouted judgement delivered by his Lordship, Justice Taiwo. O. Taiwo and went ahead to an appeal court where he filed an appeal. My question is why go this length? For crying out loud, it’s purely PDP vs. PDP. Hence, I call the appeal taken by Sen Iyorchia Ayu as a nonsense appeal.
“In addition, I strongly believed that Sen Iyorchia Ayu is deeply corrupt, hence he took an appeal against the judgement awarded by justice Taiwo, O. Taiwo to a PDP candidate. To Sen Iyorchia Ayu and co, I have this for you. “You may know how to steal but you don’t know how to run”.
“Going forward, I advise the PDP National chairman to seek the opinion of leaders as well as stakeholders of party before arriving at a decision, otherwise, he will sink the party.
Finally, as a father which I am, I appeal again to PDP Governors, leaders and stakeholders to quickly step into the present crisis rocking our party (PDP) in Delta state with regard to the governorship flag bearer before it is too late.”
