The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu has reacted to his suspension from the party by the Executive Committee of the PDP in Igyorov Ward in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to him, his suspension from the party at the state is an exercise in futility, as the Executive Committee of his Ward lacks the power to suspend him.
Newsflash Nigeria reported on Sunday that the Executive Committee of the PDP in Igyorov Ward in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State suspended Ayu from the party with immediate effect.
The secretary of the committee, Banger Dooyum, said Ayu was suspended for anti-party activities after passing a vote of no confidence on him.
Dooyum stressed that Ayu’s anti-party activities alongside his allies contributed to the loss of the party in his ward and local government in the governorship election.
He said the committee also accused the national chairman of not paying his annual dues as enshrined by the party’s constitution.
However, in his reaction on Monday, the PDP national chairman said those who suspended him were illiterates and ignorant of the provisions of the PDP constitution.
Ayu in a statement issued by his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam explained that it is only the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) that has the power to suspend him.
According to him, his Ward executive members were being tale guided by those he described as political gamblers “to cause mischief and nothing more.”
The statement reads, “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 beforehand, 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 were held on the 25th and 18th of 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 to 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”.
