The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, says the members of the PDP Executive Committee in Igyorov Ward, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, who suspended him for alleged anti-party activities, are “illiterates”.

Ayu said the PDP committee lacks the power to suspend him, noting that the members of the committee are ignorant of the party’s Constitution.

The Star had reported on Sunday that the committee suspended Ayu for alleged anti-party activities, adding that his anti-party activities, alongside his allies, contributed to the party’s loss in his ward and local government in the March 18 governorship election in the state.

They also accused Ayu of not paying his annual dues as enshrined by the party’s constitution, noting that most of his closest allies worked for the All Progressive Congress (APC) which resulted in the abysmal performance of the PDP in Igyorov Ward.

However, the PDP chairman, in a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam, described his suspension as “an exercise in futility as it derives its strength majorly from gross illiteracy, ignorance, gambling, and desperation”.

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He stressed that only the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) has the power to suspend him, saying the suspension letter was written by an illiterate and given to the coerced members of the committee to sign in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

The statement read: “We wish to state categorically and with all emphasis at our disposal thus:

“For starters, Article 57(7) of the PDP Constitution as Amended in 2017 expressly prohibits any organ of the party or executive committee of the party at the Ward or State Level from taking any disciplinary measure against any member of the party’s National Executive Committee.

“The purported suspension is, therefore, an exercise in futility as it derives its strength majorly from gross illiteracy, ignorance, gambling, and desperation. It has only mischief, drama, and propaganda value.

“But more than this, the so-called suspension letter was written by an illiterate beforehand, and only given to the coerced members to sign somewhere in Makurdi.

“This is why the original date is tipexed and 24 March imposed on it. And this is also why it states that the presidential/NASS and Governorship/State Assembly elections were held on 25th and 18th March 2023 respectively.

“From what we know, the document itself is fraudulent as the signatures of the Ward Executives were forged or obtained under duress.

“The (Ward) chairman, his deputy, and legal adviser didn’t sign. The 14th person on the list didn’t sign too. She was at NKST Ambighir for the Holy Communion.

“In fact, the same applies to Nos. 5, 8, and 16. At the time they were supposed to be in Makurdi with the other coerced, intimidated, and induced members of the Exco, they were actually in their villages, going about their normal businesses”.

“Up till now, about nine members of the Ward Exco are still being held hostage in a location in Makurdi for obvious reasons. And expectedly, their mobile numbers have been switched off. It is instructive.

“The general public is hereby advised to ignore rumours to this heinous effect. Those behind the plot are only investing in expensive illusions,” Ayu’s aide stated.

The Star