Court sacks Ayu as PDP national chair

A High Court sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has ordered the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, to stop parading himself as the chairman of the party.

The presiding judge, Justice W. I Kpochi, sacked Ayu on Monday, pending the determination of the substantive suit which has been adjourned to April 17, 2023, for hearing.

A member of the PDP in Benue State, Terhide Utaan, who is the plaintiff in the suit, obtained the order restraining Ayu from parading himself as the PDP chairman.

Speaking with journalists in Makurdi after obtaining the court order, the plaintiff said following the suspension of Ayu by his Igyorov Ward Exco on Sunday, it is wrong for him to keep up with the office of national chairman and further disunite the party.

The Star had reported that the Executive Committee in Igyorov Ward, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, on Sunday, suspended Ayu for alleged anti-party activities.

The committee said the former Senate President’s 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.

Reacting via a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam, the PDP chairman said the members of the committee, who suspended him are “illiterates”.

Ayu described his suspension as “an exercise in futility as it derives its strength majorly from gross illiteracy, ignorance, gambling and desperation”.

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 Star

Segun Ojo