Breaking: PDP Chairman, Ayu steps Down

At last, the embattled National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, on Tuesday, stepped down as the chairman of the party.

On Monday, a High Court in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, restrained 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.

Terhide Utaan, a member of the PDP from Benue State, is the plaintiff before Justice W. I Kpochi, who obtained the order restraining Ayu from parading himself as national chairman of the party.

Utaan, while speaking to newsmen in Makurdi after obtaining the court order, said due to 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.

Igyorov Ward Exco suspended Ayu for anti-party activities following the party’s loss in the presidential election.

On Monday, media aide Simon Imobo-Tswam, in a statemnt said the ward lacked the powers to suspend him.

Ayu’s political rival in the PDP and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Monday, expressed happiness over the suspension of Ayu by his Benue State ward exco, who passed a vote of no confidence in him.

“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.

Wike had been in tug of war with the PDP leadership, calling for the resignation of Ayu to give room for Southern chairman of the party, even before the presidential election, an action which forced him to create a parrelel and rebel group, calleed G-5 Governors.