NWC Member Reveals Why PDP’s NEC, BoT, Governors, Others Can’t Help Ayu

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) has revealed why critical organs of the main opposition party cannot help the suspended National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

Naija News recalls that Ayu was suspended on March 26th by his Igyorov Ward in the Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.

Ayu was subsequently forced to step aside and replaced in an acting capacity by the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Ambassador Umar Damagum, following an order of a Benue High Court restraining him from parading himself as PDP National Chairman.

The Benue High Court had also fixed April 17 for a hearing in the case against Ayu.

Since Ayu’s suspension, critical organs of the PDP, which comprises the National Executive Committee (NEC), Board of Trustees (BoT), PDP Governors’ Forum, and the National Caucus, have remained silent.

Speaking to The Nation on Sunday, the PDP NWC member said the party organs cannot intervene until the court case is concluded.

He said any attempt by the party organs to discuss Ayu’s suspension would be sub judice and amount to preempting the court’s decision.

The source said: “The fact on the ground is that the case is pending in court. So, nobody can dabble into it. But if parties to the dispute decide on their own to withdraw the case from the court, then the party organs may decide to mediate on it. Until that is done, there is nothing anyone can do about it.”

The source confirmed that many of Ayu’s colleagues in the NWC were not favorably disposed to having him back as National Chairman.

He noted that Ayu’s current travail was self-inflicted because he disobeyed a subsisting order of another court in Benue State restraining the PDP from suspending or taking any disciplinary measures against Governor Samuel Ortom.

The source said: “Many of our leaders were not happy with the decision to drag Governor Ortom before the disciplinary committee against the order of the court.

“Although Governor Ortom had denied having a hand in the suspended national chairman’s ordeal, we all know that it was a backlash from Benue State, and Dr. Ayu should take responsibility for it.”