Ayu steps aside as PDP national chairman
Embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has stepped aside as the chairman of the party.
He has been immediately replaced with the Deputy National Chairman, (North) Umar Iliya Damagum.
Damagum will assume office as the acting National Chairman, pending the determination of the case in court.
Recall that a High Court in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, had restrained the embattled Ayu from parading himself as chairman of the party, pending the determination of the substantive suit, which has been adjourned to April 17, 2023 for hearing.
A member of the PDP from Benue, Terhide Utaan, who is the plaintiff before Justice W. I Kpochi, obtained the order restraining Ayu from parading himself as national chairman of the party.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi after obtaining the court order, the plaintiff said following the suspension of Ayu by his Igyorov Ward Exco on Sunday, it was wrong for him to keep up with the office of national chairman and further disunite the party.
Ayu was suspended for anti-party activities in the wake of the party’s loss in the presidential election.
But in a statement on Monday by his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam, the former lawmaker insisted that the ward committee lacked the powers to suspend him.
Ayu’s political rival in the PDP and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Monday, said he was elated that Benue State ward exco passed a vote of no confidence in Ayu.
“I am not from Benue State, but I am happy, and now that Benue State has done it, we would now come out and say we are in support of it,” he said.
Prior to this development, there had been intense calls for Ayu to step aside for a Southerner to take over as the chairman of the party.
He had rebuffed the calls prior to the general elections. His refusal to step down had caused the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, to lose the support of five sitting governors.
Atiku had gone ahead to lose the presidential election in the affected five states of Oyo, Rivers, Benue, Abia, and Enugu.
(theconclaveng.com)
