Chief Philip Agbese, a leading House of Representatives aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has advised the national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, to stop hallucinating over the
Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume.
Agbese said Ayu should instead concentrate in redeeming whatever is left of his seemingly damaged reputation from the controversial arms deal involving former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
The UK-trained legal practioner’s reaction trails the former Senate President’s claim that the former Benue Governor is set to return to the PDP like a “prodigal son”.
“Your lost son, George Akume, is coming back to the PDP. I’m saying this thing based on what I know,” Ayu had said.
“I earlier prophesied that Akume would hold a broom and he did. Now, I am prophesying that he will come back to the PDP. When he comes back, do not reject him but make sure you rehabilitate him because where he is now, he is not thinking straight. He was a lost son, a prodigal son. Only rehabilitate him and make sure he thinks properly”.
But Agbese, who is vying for the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency seat, said Ayu’s focus should be on explaining to his party faithful and Nigerians how he got involved in the whole Dasukigate.
Recall that the former Senate President had in 2015 admitted collecting N345m from Dasuki.
He said then, “When I served on the National Security Council as Minister of Internal Affairs, I got educated that various aspects of security work could be pushed under different classifications. Any funds remitted to the company were for consultancies on security related and electoral matters. When Colonel Sambo Dasuki assumed duty in June 2012, he approached me to assist based on my background as a social scientist and my previous involvement in government”.
Agbese further noted that Ayu should also concentrate to redeem his party which has become synonymous with failure over the years rather.
The Okanga of Agila as he is fondly called added that the new PDP chairman is only trying to please his paymasters and sponsors in Benue State who facilitated his emergence at huge cost to Benue treasury and the well-being of the masses by calling out Senator Akume who is the leading contender for the APC national chairmanship.
According to Agbese, Ayu has lost relevance politically and he is afraid that he may not be able to fulfill agreement reached for him to become chairman.
“Ayu is afraid of Akume because he can’t fulfill his promise to his party men when the agreement was reached for him to become Chairman,” Agbese said.
“It will be difficult for Ayu who has always been rejected by his kinsmen in Gboko Local Government to give PDP a ward in the 2023 general elections and many of them are already aware that with Senator Akume as National Chairman of the APC, no single local government area in Benue Satte can be taken by the PDP.”