The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has described his suspension from the party at the ward level as an exercise in futility.
He said contrary to the news making the rounds, “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.”
He therefore urged the general public “to ignore rumours to this heinous effect,” arguing that “those behind the plot were only investing in expensive illusions.”
Ayu who spoke in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Simon Imobo-Tswam, said “the so-called suspension letter was written by an illiterate before hand, and only given to the coerced members to sign somewhere in Makurdi.”
The statement reads further: “This is why the original date is typexed and 24 March imposed on it. And this is also why it states that the presidential/NASS and Governorship/State Assembly elections held on 25th and 18th March, 2023 respectively.
“From what we know, the document itself is fraudulent as the signatures of the Ward Executives were forged or obtained under duress.
“The chairman, his deputy and legal adviser didn’t sign. The 14th person on the list didn’t sign too. She was at NKST Ambighir for the Holy Communion.
“ In fact, the same applies for Nos. 5, 8 and 16. At the time they were supposed to be in Makurdi with the other coerced, intimidated and induced members of the Exco, they were actually in their villages, going about their normal businesses.
“Up till now, 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. It is instructive.
“The general public is hereby advised to ignore rumours to this heinous effect. Those behind the plot are only investing in expensive illusions.”
It would be recalled that the PDP in Igyorov Council Ward, Gboko local government area of Benue State, suspended Ayu.
The executives of the party in the ward cited anti-party activities of Ayu as the reason for the suspension.
Twelve out of 17 officials of the ward signed and issued a statement to that effect on Sunday in Makurdi.
