Just-in: Benue Court restrains Ayu from parading self as PDP National Chairman

A High Court of Benue State sitting in Makurdi, State capital, has issued an interim injunction restraining Dr Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The presiding judge, Justice W.I. Kpochi, gave the interim order on Monday in the suit No. MHC/85/2023 filed at the court by Terhide Utaan (the Applicant) with Ayu and the PDP as Defendants/Respondents.

The case was adjourned until April 17, 2023 for further hearing.

The application was supported by a 15-paragraph affidavit to which it was annexed three exhibits as exhibits A1, A2 and B which were the applicant’s membership card, of the second defendant, receipts for payment of dues and a vote of no confidence passed on the 1st Defendant/Respondent by the Igyorov Ward PDP leadership of the 2nd defendant in Gboko local government area of Benue State.

The court order sighted by LEADERSHIP said, “Upon hearing Mr. M. T. Assoh of Learned Counsel ably move the application and upon a dispassionate consideration of the facts placed before me in the pool of the affidavit evidence, and again, upon the consideration of the issues distilled in the written address by M. T. Assoh of Learned Counsel, it is my candid view that this is a proper case to grant the interim injunction as craved.

Ayu

“Consequently, this application is hereby granted in terms of the reliefs captured in the motion papers as herein before reproduced. It is so ordered.”

LEADERSHIP reports that Ayu’s suspension was announced by the ward executives of the party at Igyorov Ward of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State on Sunday by the ward secretary, Vangeryina Dooyum, on behalf of Kashi Philip, the ward chairman, over alleged anti-party activities.

However, the embattled PDP national chairman stated that the party’s constitution expressly prohibited any organ of the party or executive committee at ward, state or national level to take any disciplinary measure against any member of the National Executive Committee.

The restrained national chairman further noted that the purported announcement of his suspension was only mischief, drama and propaganda, adding that it was an exercise in futility that was derivable from gross “ignorance and desperation.”