Court Affirms Ayu’s Removal as PDP’s National Chairman

A Makurdi High Court, yesterday, ruled that Dr. Iyorchia Ayu can no longer hold office as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) having lost membership of the party in his Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.

A member of the PDP in Benue State, Conrad Terhide Utaan dragged Dr. Ayu to court after his Igyorov Ward executive committee of the party suspended him after passing a vote of no confidence in him.

In suit No: MHC/85/2023,

Utaan, sought 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.

He also sought a declaration of court that Ayu cannot hold himself out, function and preside over the affairs of the PDP as its national chairman having ceased 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 Area.

The plaintiff further sought an order restraining Ayu from parading himself as the national chairman of the PDP on the premise that he had lost membership of the party in his ward, amongst other reliefs.

Dr. Ayu through his counsel J.J Usman, SAN, filed preliminary objections to the suit bordering on the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit, saying it was an internal affair of a political party.

He also challenged the locus standi of the plaintiff, Utaan to institute the action, adding that the plaintiff had not exhausted the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the party, amongst other objections.

Utaan through his counsel, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, argued against the preliminary objections and urged the court to discountenance the preliminary objections and grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.

Delivering his judgement that lasted for two hours, the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, resolved all the issues raised in the preliminary objections in favour of the plaintiff and accordingly dismissed the same.