The Makurdi High Court has upheld the removal of Iyorchia Ayu as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Presided over by Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the Chief Judge of Benue State, the court ruled that Ayu had lost his party membership in his Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko Local Government Area in Benue State. Consequently, Justice Ikpambese stated that Ayu could no longer hold the position of National Chairman within the PDP.
Ayu’s suspension by the Benue PDP Ward Executive Committee was due to his failure to pay membership dues and alleged anti-party activities. In response, another party member named Terhide Utaan obtained a court order preventing Ayu from presenting himself as the national chairman of the party.
Ayu, represented by his counsel Johnson Usman, challenged the court’s jurisdiction and the standing of the plaintiff. He argued that the issue at hand was an internal matter within the political party, emphasizing that the plaintiff had not exhausted the internal dispute resolution mechanism within the PDP.
In delivering the ruling, the judge highlighted Ayu’s failure to provide evidence of paying his membership subscription fee. Furthermore, the judge affirmed that Ayu had not contested his suspension through any official channels within the PDP or in any court. This led the court to conclude that Ayu had implicitly consented to his suspension by the Ward Executive Committee of his party.