The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratoc Party (PDP) in Benue state may have further worsened as the party’s executive in Igyorov Ward of Benue state in a surprising turn of events, Monday, distanced themselves from the suspension of the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
Secretary of the ward, Vangeryina Dooyum, who announced the suspension while addressing a press briefing on behalf of the Ward Chairman, Kashi Philip, said Ayu was suspended for alleged anti party activities.
The suspension came few days after the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had dragged the Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom, to its disciplinary committee over alleged anti party activities.
However, the ward executive in a letter to the PDP Chairman in Gboko Local Government Area, said they did not endorse Ayu’s suspension and have no part in it.
According to them, the suspension was made without due process and proper consultation with all relevant stakeholders, adding that their signatures were forged to issue the “mischievous letter” announcing Ayu’s suspension.
The letter signed by the party’s Deputy Chairman in the ward and 15 others,, read in part: “The executive committee have never discussed in any of our meetings prior to election or post 2023 general election about the conduct of the National Chairman.
“The Executive Committee Members have stated clearly that they have no knowledge about the letter and have not authorized anybody whatsoever to generate such mischievous letter on behalf of the Executive Committee.
“The purported signatures on the letter are forged and no member of PDP Executive Committee of Igyorov Council Ward have signed that letter nor caused to be signed on his or her behalf. The names of the Executive Committee Members are wrongly written and spelled which show the desperation of the mischief makers.
“The content of the purported letter itself is contradictory on the holding of the presidential and National Assembly Elections on the March 25, 2023 while the letter itself is dated March 24, 2023.
“The letter was written before the purported commission of the offence which shows clearly that it is the hand work of the mischief makers,” the executive members further stated.
The party executive, in the letter copied to the PDP Natoonal Chairman, NWC and NEC as well as PDP State Chairman, Zonal Working Comittee, Zonal Executive Committee, among others, also passed a vote of confidence on Ayu while also declaring, “full support for his pragmatic leadership style, as the National Chairman of the Party, by taking our party to higher heights.”
Earlier, Ayu had declared that based on provisions in Article 57(7) of the PDP constitution, party executives at the state or ward levels lacked the powers to suspend him or take any disciplinary measure against any member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
“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,” he further declared.
