…Alleges Chairman worked for APC against success of PDP during general elections
…Says he fails to pay his Annual Subscription Fees
…Suspension trails lash on Ortom, Fayose, Anyim, others
By Moses Adeniyi
The crises in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have worsen as the National Chairman of the Party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, on Sunday came under a stroke of suspension.
The suspension of Ayu was effected from his Ward – Igyorov Ward of Gboko Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, by the Ward Executive of the Party.
Ayu’s suspension is coming with immediate effect less than a week after the Party’s National Working Committe (NWC) lashed some of its key members including former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; former president of the Senate, Pius Anyim; and others, including Prof Dennis Ityavyar and Aslam Aliyu, with suspension.
The Party had also referred Benue State Govenor, Samuel Ortom to the National Disciplinary Committee over his reported involvement in anti-party activities.
Ortom and Ayu hail from same Benue State but fell out due to irreconcilable differences over the General Elections.
Ortom is a member of the G-5 PDP Governors who demanded the resignation of Ayu as National Chairman in the build-up to the General Elections and his replacement by a southerner, since Atiku Abubakar the presidential candidate of the party is from the North.
Addressing the media on Sunday, on behalf of the Ward Chairman, Kashi Philip, the Ward Secretary, Mr. Vangeryina Dooyum said that Ayu was suspended by the Executive for alleged anti-party activities.
The Secretary who read from a text signed by 12 out of the 17 member Ward Executive stated that the decision to suspend the National Chairman was reached after the leadership reviewed his conduct at the end of the just concluded general elections.
He mentioned that Ayu was suspended following alleged anti-party activities while also defecting in payment of his Annual Subscription Fees.
The Party also alleged that he failed to vote during the Governorship and State Assembly Elections held on March 18, 2023, but rather connived with his allies to work for the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Flanked by the Chairman and other members, the Secretary said, “We observed with utmost dismay that, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu who is the National Chairman of the PDP worked against the success of the party in Igyorov Council Ward.
“It is on record that, he has also failed to pay his Annual Subscription Fees as provided under Section 8(9) of the constitution of the PDP 2017 (As Amended).
“Further investigation also revealed that, he did not vote during the Governorship and State Assembly Elections held on March 18, 2023.
“It was also discovered that, most of his closest allies worked for the opposition party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, and hence, the abysmal performance of the PDP in Igyorov Ward.
“In view of the foregoing, we hereby pass a Vote of No Confidence on Dr. Iyorchia Ayu and suspend him as a member of our party with immediate effect. The suspension takes effect from March 24, 2023.”
Recall that the NWC of the PDP had last week taken a lash on some of its key members over anti party activities.
The Party last Thursday suspended former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; former president of the Senate, Pius Anyim; and others including Prof Dennis Ityavyar and Aslam Aliyu.
The suspension, which took effect on Thursday, was arrived at after an extensive review of the affairs of the party, pursuant to the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).
The PDP also referred the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, to the National Disciplinary Committee over his reported involvement in anti-party activities.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, PDP, Debo Ologunagba.
The statement had read partly, “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has after very extensive review of the affairs of our Party in the country and pursuant to the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) referred the Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom to the National Disciplinary Committee over his reported involvement in anti-party activities.
“The NWC also approved the suspension of the following from the Party with effect from today, Thursday, March 23, 2023.
“1. Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti State); 2. Sen. Pius Anyim (Ebonyi State); 3. Prof. Dennis Ityavyar (Benue State); 4. Dr. Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara State).
“The PDP urges all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of our Party across the country to remain united and focused at this critical time.”
However, in swift reaction to his referral to the disciplinary committee, Ortom, had last Thursday said Ayu, ought rather to be the one to face the party’s disciplinary panel for anti-party activities and not him.
He had said Ayu should be explaining to party members how he lost his polling unit, Ward, LGA and State during the last general elections instead of chasing shadows.
Ortom had also dismissed his referral to the disciplinary panel over alleged anti-party activities as contempt of a subsisting Court Order.
A statement in response to the referral signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, read in part, “Governor Ortom said it is contemptuous of the leadership of the PDP to disregard the Court Order which barred the party or any organ of the party from issuing any disciplinary measure against him.
“The case is pending in court and there is an order of injunction restraining any organ of the party from carrying out any disciplinary action against the governor.
“This Case is adjourned to 18th April 2023 and so it is baffling to see such a statement coming from the national leadership of the party.”
He quoted his principal as saying, “I think the national leadership of our great party is losing its sense of direction.
“Instead of the leadership to sit back and think of ways on how to rebuild the party from the ruins of the defeat from the just concluded elections, they are going about chasing imaginary shadows.
“In any case, the first person the party should refer to the disciplinary committee should be the national chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.
“The national chairman lost his polling unit, lost his ward, local government, and even the state.
“As if that is not enough, there are strong indications that the national chairman was involved in anti-party activities in Benue State by working for the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, just to get at me because of my principled stand against certain aspects of the decisions of the national leadership of the party.”
The Governor had said the party should not be allowed to be ridiculed by some individuals who are bent on destroying the party for their selfish gains.
Crisis in the PDP recently worsened with the outcome of the general elections. Build-up to the election had seen the Party torn into blocs of divergent interest due to irreconcilable differences.
The development had affected the fate of the Party as the G-5 governors which demanded the resignation of Ayu as the National Party Chairman and his substitution by a Southerner considering Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate of the Party hails from the North, refused to work for the Party in the Presidential election, a situation that went sour for the Party in the outcome of the election.
The G-5 Governors which include Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo State), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State), Samuel Ortom (Benue State) and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and other aggrieved stalwarts of the Party have been spotted to have worked against the party, weakening its fortune in the presidential election.
However, some members of the G-5 were also noted to have suffered ill-fate as the elections turned sour for some of them seeking election into the Senate.
Members of the group apart from Makinde who won his reelection, and Wike who did not personally contest any seat, lost their senatorial bid for the Senate, following their two-term tenure of eight years would elapse May 29.
It was alleged the Party had paid them back by working for opposition candidates.