PDP Chairman, Ayu Reacts To His Suspension By PDP

Dr Iyorchia Ayu, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has informed the Executive Committee of his Ward that it lacks the authority to suspend him.

The Executive Committee of Ayu’s PDP Igyorov Ward in Benue State’s Gboko local government area suspended him from office on Sunday, following a no-confidence vote by the Ward executive.

The Ward leadership accused Ayu of anti-party activities that contributed to the PDP’s defeat in the recent national and state elections.

Ward leaders also charged the party chairmen with failing to pay his annual dues as required by the PDP constitution.

However, in a statement released on Monday, Ayu stated that those who suspended him were illiterate and unaware of the provisions of the PDP constitution.

In a statement signed on his behalf by his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam, on Monday, the chairman claimed that some of his Ward executive members were being tele-guided by political gamblers “to cause mischief and nothing more.”

He criticized the Ward resolution that suspended him, claiming that it was written by “illiterates” and that some Ward executive members were coerced into signing it.

According to Ayu, only the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) has the authority to suspend him.

Some of the Exco members who refused to sign the resolution, he claimed, were being held hostage in an unnamed location in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

He went on to say that the resolution suspending him was fraudulent, as were the people who signed it.

“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 declared.

The statement said: “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 before hand, 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 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 for 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”.