From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
A Benue State High Court sitting in Makurdi on Monday restrained Dr. Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the national chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP.
The Court gave the order while ruling on an ex-parte application brought by a member of the party in Benue State, Engr. Conrad Terhide Utaan,through his counsel Mike Assoh.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi, in a ruling ordered Ayu to stop parading himself as the national chairman of the PDP, having lost membership of the party, pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice already filed.
He accordingly adjourned the matter to April 17,2023,for hearing of the substantive suit.
It will be recalled that Ayu was last week suspended by the PDP ward executive of his Igyorov ward of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, after passing a vote of no confidence on Dr. Ayu.
In suit No MHC/85/2023,filed by Utaan, Dr. Ayu is the first defendant while the PDP is the second defendant.
The suit seeks among other reliefs a declaration that, Dr. Ayu is no longer fit and qualified to hold office as the national chairman of the PDP, having lost membership of the party in his Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko, where he first registered as a member of the party.
It also seeks a declaration that Ayu cannot hold himself out, function and preside over the affairs of the PDP as its national chairman having seized to enjoy all the rights and privileges of membership by virtue of his suspension by the ward executive committee of the party in his Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko Local Government where he use to be a member of the party.
It further seeks an order restraining Ayu from parading himself as the national chairman of the PDP having lost membership of the party, amongst other reliefs.
It should be noted that Governor Samuel Ortom and the National Chairman of the PDP have been engaged on war of attrition following recommendation by the National Working Committee, NWC that the Governor should appear before its disciplinary action on allegation of anti party activities during the just concluded Presidential election. Governor Ortom had supported the Labor Party, LP candidate Peter Obi while Ayu supported Atiku Abubakar who lost to the All Progressives Congress, APC Ahmed Tinubu.
Ortom maintained that the action is contemptuous as the court had restrained the PDP at whatever level from taking any action against him.
The Governor is alleged to have orchestrated a suspension of Ayu for anti party activities and failure to deliver the State to PDP.
But Ayu through his media aide Simon Imobo dismissed the action as an ‘exercise in futility’, citing section 57(7) that states clearly only the National Executive Committee, NEC of the Party has the prerogative right to suspend any the national chairman or national Assembly member.
