· As NWC meets today
· Suspended PDP chair fights on
There are strong indications that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will meet next week to ratify the suspension of embattled national chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
Ayu, whose suspension was announced Sunday by his Igyorov ward in Gboko local government area of Benue state, was also barred from parading himself as national chairman of the PDP by a Benue High Court, pending the determination of the matter that was brought before it by a party stalwart.
The court order was immediately implemented by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) on Tuesday, which swiftly approved the appointment of Deputy National Chairman, North, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagun, as Acting National Chairman of the party.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba in a press conference after an emergency meeting of the NWC, formally handed over the baton of leadership to Damagun. He said that the development was in line with PDP Constitution.
According to Ologunagba: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at an emergency meeting today, Tuesday, March 28, 2023 acknowledged the Order of the Benue State High Court, dated March 27, 2023 with regards to the chairmanship position of our great Party.
“After a careful consideration of the Court Order and in line with Section 45 (2) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), the NWC resolved that the Deputy National Chairman (North), His Excellency, Amb. Umar Ililya Damagum assumes the National Chairmanship of our Party in acting capacity with effect from today, Tuesday, March 28, 2023.
“The NWC charges all leaders, critical stakeholders, teeming members and supporters of our great Party to remain calm and united at this critical time.”
In his acceptance speech, Damagum said that he will continue to stir the ship of the party pending determination of suit. He said that he will meet with the NWC to look at the previous decisions of the NWC and other crises in the party for possible review.
He said, “I will be here in acting capacity pending the determination of what the court will decide. I will also hold meetings with the NWC to determine the situation of things in the party.”
When told that the embattled National Chairman was sighted at the party’s secretariat despite a subsisting court order, he responded:
“Yes, he was here. He can come here and pick his personal belongings,” Damagum replied.
Present at the briefing were, National Youth Leader, Muhammed Sulieman, National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade (SAN), National Treasurer, Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Organizing Secretary, Umar Bature, National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyegikuro and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
Sources close to the party, however, told our correspondent that the NWC under the acting chairmanship of Damagun will continue its meeting today, adding that a meeting of NEC could be convoked next week to take a final decision on the fate of the embattled Ayu.
“Like Senator Ayu noted, the NEC will have to meet to decide on his fate. I can confirm that the NWC will meet again tomorrow (today) where they will agree on a date for a possible NEC meeting, hopefully next week to either ratify the suspension or otherwise,” the PDP stakeholder, who preferred not to be mentioned disclosed.
It would be recalled that Ayu had earlier dismissed his purported suspension as an effort in futility, insisting that only the party’s NEC can suspend him as no other organ of the party has constitutional powers to suspend a NEC member.
Meanwhile, the embattled National Chairman is not relenting in his bid to return to his position as PDP stakeholders from Igyorov Council Ward and Gboko Local government executives, Benue State have distanced themselves from the suspension, claiming that the purported suspension was carried out by imposters. They equally alleged that some members of the ward executives including the ward Chairman and Secretary have been missing since Sunday for failing to be coerced into signing the suspension of Ayu.
The ward executive, led by Barr. Stephen Shimahile in a press conference at the PDP National Secretariat on Tuesday, passed vote of confidence on Ayu and pledged support and loyalty to his leadership style.
“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.”
Also, members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Leadership League have condemned what they term as the illegal suspension of the national chairman, even as they called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to enforce discipline and resist a takeover by “rogue governors.”
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja and signed by its leaders, May Ubeku, Ose Anenih, John Shuaibu and Babasola Kuti, the leaders said some members of the party are deliberately working to sabotage the party.
“As we come to the end of INEC’s poorly conducted 2023 General Elections and the start of our judicial challenges; it is important we do a post-mortem of our performance during the elections and identify members and leaders who deliberately sabotaged efforts of the PDP to rescue Nigeria from the ruinous reign of the APC,” the statement reads.
“In the run-up to the elections and during the elections proper, party leaders and members, in pursuit of personal and pecuniary agendas publicly and consistently flouted these rules and guidelines. Just as you cannot build a society where the Rule of Law is ignored; we cannot build a Party where leaders believe they are kings and emperors; untouchable because they see themselves as above the law.
“We were all witnesses to the disgraceful anti-party antics of the self—styled G-5 Governors who directly and indirectly worked for the APC; despite the fact that this same APC had over the last 8 years made Nigeria not just the poverty capital of the world but made us one of the most insecure nations in the world; had delivered to Nigerians the highest unemployed youth population in the world; and had raised our debt to unsustainable levels; and all this while they trampled on the rights and freedoms of millions of ordinary Nigerians.
“Governor Nyesom Wike, despite his public statements and actions against the presidential candidate of the Party and the NWC, secured a court injunction restraining the Party from disciplining him; as did Governor Samuel Ortom; but we are pleased to see that other party leaders who betrayed the Party and their own followers are being suspended and expelled by the National Working Committee (NWC).
“We applaud the Party’s decision to respect the Courts, and once the injunctions are set aside, we urge the Party to show the world that no one man is bigger than the PDP; no matter how much power, wealth or violence he may claim to control. We also urge the NWC to give all offending members a fair hearing, no matter how grievous or provocative their actions may appear to be. We cannot, in pursuit of discipline; become guilty of violating fundamental provisions of our own Constitution.
We advise Governor Wike, a lawyer himself, to respect the Courts. The recent demolition notice to AIT is curious; because the case is in court and is slated to be heard on the 6th of April. Any animus, real or perceived, Gov. Wike might have with the company and her owners surely does not give him the right to act in contempt of court processes?
“Even more curious was his magisterial press conference in which he purported to reverse the suspension of Gov. Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti who came on national television to confess to the world that he worked against the PDP and supported the APC’s candidates in the just concluded elections.
“And this point must be stressed repeatedly: no man controls the PDP. To claim to do so is hubris of the highest order. The PDP is a national party. It was not formed as a vehicle to grab power; neither was it formed as a platform of convenience for the expression of regional ambitions,” the group noted
The battle that led to the suspension of Ayu was reignited when the national leadership dragged the Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, before the national disciplinary committee of the party after it suspended former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose and erstwhile Senate President Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, former governor Ibrahim Shema, among others.
Other members of the NWC loyal to the G-5 governors who are championing the removal of Ayu include Deputy Chairman South Taofeek Arapaja, Vice Chairman South South, Ali Odefa, Dan Orbih and Vice Chairman South East Ali Odefa.
Ayu had running battle with the G-5 governors led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) who vehemently opposed his continued stay in office since the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the party.