Court affirms Ayu removal as PDP national chairman

Court affirms Ayu removal as PDP national chairman

A Makurdi high court in Benue State has affirmed the removal of Iyorchia Ayu as national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The judge, Maurice Ikpambese, also nullified Ayu’s membership of the party.

In March, the executive members of Igyorov ward, Gboko LGA of Benue, passed a vote of no confidence in Ayu over alleged anti-party activities.

They alleged that he was not paying his membership fees and did not vote in the March 18 governorship and the house of assembly elections in the state.

Subsequently, one Terhide Utaan, through his lawyer, Emmanuel Ukala, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), filed an ex parte motion marked MHC/633/2023 at the same high court and asked the court to restrain Ayu from parading himself as the national chairman of the party, having been suspended.

But Ayu through J.J Usman, his counsel, filed a preliminary objection to the suit, the court lacked the jurisdiction for the case.

Delivering judgement on Friday, Ikpambese, who is Benue’s chief judge, dismissed Ayu’s objections to the suit.

Ikpambese said by virtue of article 8(9) of the PDP’s constitution, Ayu ceased to be a member of the PDP due to his failure to pay his membership fees.

The judge said article 46(1) of the PDP empowers the ward to discipline a member of the party’s national executive committee (NEC).

“The plaintiff has proven his case. All the questions for determination have been resolved in favour of the plaintiff. He is entitled to all the reliefs sought. I so order,” the judge ruled.

 

Court affirms Ayu removal as PDP national chairman