PDP Crisis: Why I Took Ayu To Court – Ortom’s Ally

A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Conrad Utaan, has said he took the embattled National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, to court because he has been suspended by his ward.

Utaan,a former aide to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, said he filed a suit against Ayu to be removed as the party national chairman because he failed to lead the party to victory in the just-concluded 2023 elections.

Recall that a High Court sitting in Makurdi presided over by Justice Wilfred Kpochin issued an interim order restraining Ayu from parading himself as the chairman of the party.

The order of the court was issued on Monday following an ex-parte application brought before the court by Utaan.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the ruling, Utaan said Ayu has no reason to be in office since he has been suspended by his ward and the suspension has not been lifted.

Utaan said he expected the national chairman to have stepped down following the abysmal performance of the party in the just-concluded elections in the state.

He said, “We naturally expected that out of the performance that we have just recorded as a party in Benue we expected Dr Ayu, like it is done in saner climes, to step aside honourably because he wasn’t able to lead the party to victory; and allow the party to move on without him.

“Unfortunately he has refused to show or display that kind of honour and I thought it wise to approach the court to see how to agree with the position of his ward who only 24 hours ago, suspended him from the party. Our expectation is that you cannot be the National Chairman of a party that you are not a member of.

“Fortunately for us as a party, Dr Ayu is no longer a member of the PDP as declared by his ward and under normal circumstances, he has no reason whatsoever to continue as the National Chairman of our party.”