The Benue State High Court sitting in Makurdi grants ex-parte order restraining Dr. Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as PDP National Chairman.
The court order comes barely 24 hours after his suspension from the party by executives of his Igyorov Council Ward in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, North-Central Nigeria.
The Court gave the order while ruling on the ex-parte application brought by a member of the party in Benue State, Conrad Terhide Utaan, through his counsel, Mike Assoh.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi, in his ruling ordered Ayu to stop parading himself as the PDP National Chairman, having lost membership of the party, pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice.
In suit No. MHC/85/2023, filed by Utaan, Ayu is the first defendant while the PDP is the second defendant. The suit seeks among other reliefs a declaration that, Ayu is no longer fit and qualified to hold office as the PDP National Chairman having lost membership of the party in his Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko LGA, where he first registered as a member of the party.
It also seeks a declaration that Ayu cannot hold himself out, function and preside over the affairs of the PDP as its National Chairman having seized to enjoy all the rights and privileges of membership by virtue of his suspension by the Ward executive committee of the party in his Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko Local Government where he used to be a member of the party.
The matter was adjourned to April 17, 2023, for hearing of the substantive suit.
Most read: PDP Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu dismisses suspension by Ward executives
Dr. Ayu is accused of anti-party activities after PDP lost the 2023 elections in his polling unit, ward, local government and state including his reported failure to pay his membership dues.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
