In a move that smacks of political vendetta, the group of five governors within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are poised to ensure embattled Dr Iyorchia Ayu does not return as national chairman of the party.
The move to sack Ayu as national chairman follows his stepping aside as party national chairman on the back of a court order which asked him to stop parading himself as such.
Recall that the G-5 governors namely Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia),and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) had called for Ayu's resignation to pave the way for a national chairman from the South to ensure a balance of power with the emergence of Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, as presidential candidate. Ayu is also northerner from Benue State.
While Ayu declined the call for his resignation, the G-5 governors, who enjoyed the backing of some top party leaders, refused to support Atiku's presidential quest over his refusal to prevail on the national chairman to step down.
During the presidential election, the G-5 governors and some of their allies openly worked for either the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, or his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, a move which prompted Ayu to commence punitive measures via suspension of some members, including former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, and former governors Ayu Fayose, Chimaroke Nnamani, and Ibrahim Shema, among others.
The Ayu-led party also referred Ortom, his state governor, to the party's disciplinary committee, a move which set in motion the move to sack him from office.
PDP Crisis Deepens, Confusion Trails Ayu's Suspension
It was however gathered that the fresh onslaught against Ayu was to ensure that he is sent packing the same way his predecessor, Prince Uche Secondus, was forced out of office barely two years ago, using the courts.
Meanwhile, the deputy national chairman (North), Amb. Umar Ililya Damagum yesterday took over as the acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This followed the court order from a Court in Benue State which barred the national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, from parading himself as such, following his suspension by the his home ward of the party.
LEADERSHIP reported yesterday that Damagum would assume the position in acting capacity, pending the vacating of the court order.
Ayu had, through his spokesman, Simon Imobo Tswam, told LEADERSHIP that he would vacate the court order.
The national publicity secretary of the PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba, in a terse statement said the party's leadership resolved for Damagum to assume office in keeping with the court order.
He said, "The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at an emergency meeting today (yesterday), Tuesday, March 28, 2023 acknowledge 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 (yesterday), Tuesday, March 28, 2023.
It urged the party leaders, critical stakeholders, teeming members and supporters to remain calm and united at this critical time.
This is, however, the second time in two years that a deputy national chairman would assume leadership of PDP following a court order stopping the party's national chairman from office.
In 2021 a court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, ordered then national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to stop parading himself in that capacity. This followed his suspension from the party at the ward level.
Following Secondus' adherence to the order, his then deputy national chairman from the South, Yemi Akinwonmi, took over as chairman in acting capacity.
Ayu Is Gone Forever, Wike Boasts
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has advised the embattled national chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu to come to terms with the reality that his calamitous reign had come to an end.
The governor said Ayu's claim that only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party could suspend him was a pointer that he was suffering from delusions of grandeur.
Wike, who spoke yesterday at Bellmouth Junction, Degema-Krakrama bridge, venue of the inauguration of phase one of the Trans-Kalabari Road, declared that the embattled PDP national chairman would not be allowed to reap from a party, by presiding over its affairs, where he has not sown, or secured any electoral victory for it.
The governor said, "Ayu said nobody can suspend him, but today he has packed out from the national office. We have an acting chairman. I told him he will go; whether you like it or not, he will go."
Wike explained that, in case Ayu was unfamiliar with the party's constitution, the court had sometime in the past struck out the section that bestowed powers to suspend national officers on only the NEC of the party.
He said, "Those lawyers telling you that the ward has no power to suspend you, that it's only the National Executive Council (NEC), then you don't understand what is happening. When you came, it was the ward that suspended (Uche) Secondus, and you went and took office, is it not?"
"So, is it now that you know that it is only NEC that can suspend you? Let me tell you, since they've not told you, the court has struck off that section of our constitution that says only NEC can suspend (chairman). PDP did not even appeal the judgement.
"So, forget it, you are gone. You are wasting your time. We are ready for the battle. I am not from Benue State, but I have interest and that interest is that Ayu must go," he said.
The governor stated that Ayu's suspension by his ward executive shows that he was not a formidable force and respected political leader who commands loyal followers.
He noted that sadly, too, the embattled PDP national chairman could not secure winning votes for his preferred candidate in the February 25th presidential election in his polling unit, ward, local government and state.
Wike said, "Ayu, the man you supported for president, you didn't give him the vote, he lost. We supported a southern president and we won in our states for equity, justice and fairness.
"A man who lost his unit, a man who lost his ward, a man who lost his local government, a man who lost his state and he is coming to preside over us who won our units, won our wards, won our local governments , won our state; something must be wrong.
"You cannot reap where you never sowed. If all of us have lost our states, what will you be chairing?
"You want to use Rivers State to be chairman, we are not party to that. Go and bring your own local government. Here (in Rivers), we won 32 over 32 seats for the House of Assembly. Ayu, how many did you win? Here, we won the 3 seats for senate too, Ayu, how many did you win? We won 11 out of the 13 seats for the House of Representatives. Ayu, how many did you win?"
Commenting on the Trans-Kalabari Road project, the governor dismissed skeptics who saif he wouldn't complete the project.
He stated that despite the kidnapping of Lubrik Construction Company staff for five months in a bid to disrupt the project, he pressed on and ensured its completion in his tenure.
Wike commended Kalabari people for supporting the PDP and delivering winning votes in the three local government areas for Sir Siminalayi Fubara to emerge the governor-elect.
Performing the Inauguration of the project, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said Wike had done so well for Rivers people because of the spread of his development projects in virtually every community.
Makinde said he was following in the footsteps of Governor Wike to sustain the pace of delivery of democratic dividends to people of Oyo State who had graciously re-elected him for a second tenure.
Rivers Governor, Ortom Behind Ayu's Suspension - Campaign Council
Meanwhile, spokesperson of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Charles Aniagwu, has said the alleged suspension of the party's national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, was illegal and not in conformity with the party's constitution.
He accused Wike and his Benue counterpart, Samuel Ortom, of being behind the said suspension.
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Speaking on "Kakaaki" on AIT yesterday, Aniagwu said the ex-parte order from the court restraining Ayu from carrying out his duties as national chairman was most unfortunate as the basis for granting the said order was faulty.
While saying that those who attempted to suspend the national chairman in Benue State were ignorant of the provisions of the party's constitution as amended in 2017, he said anyone proceeding to court with such illegal suspension is just making unnecessary troubles for the party.
He argued that the APC constitution was different from that of the PDP, adding that no organ of the party aside the National Executive Committee can suspend a member of National Working Committee, (NWC).
According to him, Section 57(7) of the PDP constitution was very clear on who has the power to suspend or discipline a member of the NWC or National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
"When they proceeded to ask the ward of the national chairman to take disciplinary action against him assuming that they have the power they ought to have given him fair hearing by summoning him to give him the opportunity to defend himself but the Section 57 didn't give them the power to carry out such action against a member of NWC."
The presidential campaign spokesman said the party was hasty in carrying out disciplinary actions on certain members of the party who were perceived to have worked against the party.
He, however expressed optimism that the party would come out stronger after its current travails.
On Wike's onslaught against the party, Aniagwu cautioned the Rivers governor to be wary of how he uses his powers, reminding him that he would be out of office in two months' time.
"In about two and a half months, Nyesom Wike will no longer be a governor; then reality will dawn on him to stop listening to himself and also understand what members of the public thinks about him.
"I thought that Wike, having been a former minister and now governor for eight years, should have realised that there is a class leaders belong and they don't behave the way he is behaving," he stated.
