A High Court in Benue State has granted an interim order restraining Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pending the determination of the substantive suit which has been adjourned to the 17th of April, 2023, for hearing.
The presiding judge, W.I Kpochi gave the order, on Monday while ruling on a motion ex parte filed by Conrad Terhide Utaan, a PDP member, and marked MHC/633/2023.
The applicant sought from the court: ‘An order of interim injunction, restraining the 1st defendant, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the national chairman of the PDP, having lost membership of the party, pending the hearing and determination of Motion on Notice already filed.’
The application was supported by a 15-paragraph affidavit to which is annexed three exhibits which are the applicant’s membership card of the second defendant, receipts for payment of dues and a vote of no confidence passed on Ayu.
Ayu was suspended on Sunday by his Igyorov ward in Gboko Local Government Area for alleged anti-party activities and not paying his annual dues among reasons.
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Secretary of the ward, Vangeryina Dooyum, said the decision to suspend Ayu was reached after the leadership reviewed his conduct at the end of the just-concluded general election.
The PDP lost the presidential election in Benue to the APC whose candidate, Bola Tinubu, also emerged as president-elect. The PDP, which currently governs Benue, also lost two of the three senatorial seats and 11 of the 12 House of Representatives seats to the APC.
Mr Dooyum alleged that the party found out that many of Ayu’s closest allies worked for the APC, hence, the abysmal performance of the PDP in Igyorov Ward.
‘In view of the foregoing, we hereby pass a vote of no confidence in Dr. Iyorchia Ayu and suspend him as a member of our party with immediate effect. The suspension takes effect from March 24, 2023,’ he said.
Ayu has, however, dismissed his suspension by his ward as an exercise in futility and should be disregarded.
Reacting in a statement issued by his media aide, Imobo-Tswam, Ayu said only the national executive committee (NEC), the highest decision-making organ of the party, can suspend a national chairman.
‘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.’
Ayu alleged that the so-called suspension letter was written by an illiterate, and only given to coerced members to sign somewhere in Makurdi.
‘This is why the original date is tipexed and 24 March imposed on it. From what we know, the document itself is fraudulent as the signatures of the Ward Executives were forged or obtained under duress. The chairman, his deputy and legal adviser didn’t sign the letter. The 14th person on the list didn’t sign too. In fact, the same applies for Nos. 5, 8 and 16. At the time they were supposed to be in Makurdi, the others coerced, intimidated and induced members of the Exco, they were actually in their villages, going about their normal businesses.’
He advised the general public to ignore rumours to the “heinous effect,” saying those behind the plot are only investing in expensive illusions.