The crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party, PDP has further deepened as Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike alleged that the embattled National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, manipulated the May 28 presidential primaries of the party.

The primary election was won by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar with 371 votes while Wike came second with 237 votes.

Wike, in a media parley, said that save for the love he and others in his camp had for the party, they could have prevented the PDP convention from holding.

Wike said the national chairman played a vital role that affected other aspirants but ensured the emergence of Atiku as the PDP presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

The governor alleged that Ayu called several presidential aspirants to step down for the former vice president during the convention.

“He was calling aspirants to withdraw for Atiku. I was there, (Bukola) Saraki and others were there.

“He manipulated the delegates. There was nothing Ayu did not do to ensure Wike didn’t emerge,” Wike said.

The Rivers State governor lost to Atiku in a primary election that has been tagged as dollarised because of the manner by which votes were bought from delegates with dollars.

Since the primary, there has been a crisis in the party. Wike’s camp has now demanded that Ayu should resign for a Southerner to replace him.

Atiku and Ayu are northerners and some chieftains of the party in the South have described it as unfair.