The opposition Peoples Democratic Party has debunked the reports making the rounds that the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu.

The PDP, while describing the reports as “fake news”, said Ayu is currently on a short vacation outside of the country, noting that he officially transmitted power to the Deputy National Chairman (North), Umar Iliya Damagum, to perform his duties in acting capacity, pending his return.

The party made this known via a statement issued and made available to The Star on Wednesday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba.

The main opposition party added that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was informed on the absence of Ayu and that Damagun will be performing the duties of the party’s National Chairman in acting capacity.

It noted that the rumoured suspension of the party’s National Chairman was the “imagination of mischief makers with the intent to destabilize our party”.

The statement read: “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a fictitious report being circulated in a section of the social media suggesting that the National Chairman of our great Party, His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Iyorchia Ayu has been suspended by the NWC.

“Such report is completely false and a product of the imagination of mischief makers with the intent to destabilize our Party, create an impression of crisis within our ranks and mislead the unsuspecting members of the public.

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“It is clear that the false report is the handiwork of vicious anti-people forces who are agitated by the stability, unity and soaring popularity of our Party under the cohesive Sen. Dr. Ayu-led National Working Committee as well as the intimidating statures of our Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar and His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa respectively.

“For clarity, our National Chairman, Sen. Dr. Iyorchia Ayu is on a short vacation outside of the country and he officially transmitted power to the Deputy National Chairman (North), His Excellency Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum, to perform his duties in Acting Capacity, pending his return, in line with the provision of the Constitution of the PDP 2017 (as amended).

“It is instructive to state that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was duly informed on the absence of our National Chairman and that Amb. Damagun will be performing the duties of the National Chairman in Acting Capacity pending Sen. Dr. Ayu’s return.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP and the NWC is united and Sen. Dr. Iyorchia Ayu remains the National Chairman.

“The NWC therefore urges all members of our great Party, our teeming supporters, the media and the general public to disregard the said report as Fake News,” the PDP stated.

The Star