A High Court in Benue State has granted an interim order stopping Iyorchia Ayu, from acting as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
W.I Kpochi, the presiding judge, gave the order on Monday while ruling on a motion ex parte marked MHC/633/2023 and filed by Conrad Terhide Utaan.
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“An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st defendant Senator Dr. lyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) having lost membership of the party, pending the hearing and determination of Motion on Notice already filed.
“The application is supported by a fifteen (15) paragraph affidavit to which is annexed three exhibits as Exhibits A1, A2, and B, which are the Applicant’s membership card of the 2nd defendant, receipts for payment of dues and a vote of no confidence passed on the 1st Defendant/Respondent by the Igyorov Council Ward of the 2nd Defendant in Gboko Local Government, Benue State
“Upon hearing, Mr M. T Assoh of Learned Counsel ably move the application and upon a dispassionate consideration of the facts placed before me in the pool of the affidavit evidence, and again, upon the consideration of the issues distilled in the written address by M.T Assoh of Learned Counsel, it is my candid view that this is a proper case to grant the interim injunction as craved.
“Consequently, this application is hereby granted in terms of the reliefs captured in the motion papers as herein before reproduced.
“It is so ordered,” the court ruled.
Recall, Ayu was suspended on Sunday, by the executive committee of his Igyorovo ward in Gboko Local Government, Benue State.
A letter signed by the Ward Chairman of Igyorov, Kashi Philip, alongside the exco, said Ayu was suspended for alleged anti-party activities.
However, the embattled National Chairman, in a statement on Monday, described his suspension as a nullity.
According to Ayu, only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP, as contained in section 57(7], can suspend him.
“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,” Ayu said.