By Ben Adoga, Abuja
Embattled chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has rejected his suspension by his ward, declaring that only the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC can suspend him.
Iyiochia Ayu who has been fighting the G5 governors, led by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike was on Sunday suspended by his ward leadership of the party.
In a quick reaction, Sen. Ayu issued a statement saying that those spear heading his suspension were ignorant and that it’s a rumour.
Ayu stated: “The PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has not been suspended by his ward. Some members of the Exco are only being teleguided by political gamblers to cause mischief and nothing more.
“For starters, Article 57(7) of the PDP Constitution as Amended in 2017 expressly prohibits any organ of the party or executive committee of the party at the ward or state level from taking any disciplinary measure against any member of the party’s National Executive Committee.
“The purported suspension is, therefore, an exercise in futility as it derives its strength majorly from gross illiteracy, ignorance, gambling and desperation. It has only mischief, drama and propaganda value.
“But more than this, the so-called suspension letter was written by an illiterate before hand, and only given to the coerced members to sign somewhere in Makurdi.”
Ayu stated that the document itself was fraudulent and that the ward officials like the chairman, deputy and the legal adviser did not sign the document.
The statement signed by Simon Imobo-Tswam, Special Adviser to the National Chairman on Media and Communications alleged that
“about nine members of the Ward Exco are still being held hostage in a location in Makurdi for obvious reasons. And expectedly, their mobile numbers have been switched off. ” He advised the general public to ignore the rumours .
The ward executives claimed they passed a vote of no confidence and suspended Iyiochia Ayu as member of PDP, Igyorov council ward of Gboko Local Government of Benue State.
They also accused him of working against the success of the party in the last general elections and that he had failed to pay his annual subscription feed as provided in Section 8, subsection 9 of the PDP Constitution, 2017, as amended.
