Iyorchia Ayu, the embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has stepped aside from his position.
Recall that Ayu was suspended during the week by the Benue State branch of the party.
Details later…
Tag: Iyorchia Ayu
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Court Restrains Ayu From Parading Himself As PDP Chairman
A High Court in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has restrained embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as chairman of the party pending the determination of the substantive suit which has been adjourned to April 17, 2023 for hearing.
A member of the PDP from Benue, Terhide Utaan, who is the plaintiff before Justice W. I Kpochi, obtained the order restraining Ayu from parading himself as national chairman of the party.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi after obtaining the court order, the plaintiff said following the suspension of Ayu by his Igyorov Ward Exco on Sunday, it is wrong for him to keep up with the office of national chairman and further disunite the party.
Ayu was suspended late last week for anti-party activities in the wake of the party’s loss in the presidential election.
But in a Monday statement by his media aide Simon Imobo-Tswam, the former lawmaker argued that only the ward lacked the powers to suspend him.
Ayu’s political rival in the PDP and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Monday, said he is elated that Benue State ward exco passed a vote of no confidence in him.
“I am not from Benue State, but I am happy, and now that Benue State has done it, we would now come out and say we are in support of it,” he said.
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I Support Ayu’s Suspension, He Presided Over PDP’s colossal failure – Wike
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State says he is in support of the suspension of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu.
The Executive Committee of the PDP in Igyorov Ward of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, suspended Ayu on Sunday, March 26 after passing a vote of no confidence on him for anti-party activities.
Wike says he supports the move because Ayu played a major role in the failure of the PDP in the 2023 general elections.
“I am in support of the suspension,” Wike replied when asked if he was behind the actions of the PDP officials in Benue.” Wike told Sunrise Daily.
“In fact if he (Ayu) had left before now, they would have said he has left and that was why the PDP failed the election,” the governor buttressed his point.
“First of all, if you are a member of the party will you be happy with the way the party is today, it is only in this country that you see someone who has failed woefully and without any conscience would still like to occupy the position
“In advanced countries like you see and you are the head of the party, I feel like such a colossal failure you do not need anybody to tell you to turn in the towel”
“So those in his ward from Benue are hungry, why are they angry before now Ayu ought to have left that office, people were saying we were pushing for Ayu to leave and that we had a hidden agenda to make PDP fail
“Ayu remained and PDP didn’t win, you lost your unit as National Chairman you lost your ward, as National Chairman you lost your Local government, as National Chairman of the party not only did you take a distant third in the presidential election you also lost in the state gubernatorial election,” Wike explained.
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PDP Suspends Party Chairman, Ayu Over Anti-Party Activities
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Iyorchia Ayu has been suspended by the party.
The suspension of Ayu was effected by the Ward Executive of the party in Igyorov Ward of Gboko Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state.
Addressing the media Sunday, on behalf of Kashi Philip, the Ward Chairman, the Ward Secretary Mr. Vangeryina Dooyum explained that Dr. Ayu was suspended by the Executive for alleged anti party activities.
The Secretary stated that the decision to suspend the National Chairman was reached after the leadership reviewed his conduct at the end of the just concluded general elections.
According to him, “We observed with utmost dismay that, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu who is the National Chairman of the PDP worked against the success of the party in Igyorov Council Ward.
“It is on record that, he has also failed to pay his Annual Subscription Fees as provided under Section 8 (9) of the constitution of the PDP 2017 (As Amended).
“Further investigation also revealed that, he did not vote during the Governorship and State Assembly Elections held on March 18, 2023.
“It was also discovered that, most of his closest allies worked for the opposition party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, and hence, the abysmal performance of the PDP in Igyorov Ward.
“In view of the foregoing, we hereby pass a Vote of No Confidence on Dr. Iyorchia Ayu and suspend him as a member of our party with immediate effect. The suspension takes effect from March 24, 2023.”
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PDP Crisis: Wike Dares Ayu To Stop Candidates From Contesting Election
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has dared the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Iyorchia Ayu to stop any candidate of the party from contesting an election if he thinks he has the powers to do so.
Governor Wike stated this during a media briefing at his residence in Port Harcourt on Sunday while reacting to a recent comment by Senator Ayu that he has the power to stop any candidate, particularly from Benue State, following the attacks on his person.
Ayu was quoted as saying this in his Tiv dialect while addressing the crowd that welcomed him home in Gboko on Friday. He was also quoted as saying that no one can sack him from office.
But Wike believes the comment is further damage to the image of the PDP which should be gaining the trust and confidence of the public to rescue Nigeria.
“He has now come into the office, seen money, seen power, now he can open his mouth to say he could have stopped Ortom. And he said he can also stop any contestant now. We dare him. I dare Ayu to stop any contestant if he has what it takes,” he said.
“Why is he (Ayu) not resigning? He is hoping Nigerians would donate money to the party so he would again superintend over that money. He has already finished over N11 billion party primaries money. Account for it, he says the public should go into the account. We say show us the money. Print the account of PDP, and let the world see how you expended the money.
“This is the party all of us have laboured to take over power from ruling All Progressives Congress that has done badly. Then the national chairman would open his mouth to talk about stopping contestants. Ayu shouldn’t dare. He knows he can’t do it, knows he has no such power. He is just playing to the gallery. He tried it in Rivers state, came to manipulate, and tried to put some guber aspirants, but we saw the results. We dealt with him.”
Wike reiterated that the calls for Ayu to quit the post are based on the need for inclusiveness and also for the national chairman to fulfill his promise.
“For you to be sacked there are procedures to follow. Nobody has said you are sacked. We are saying if at this point you’re a national chairman who has told Nigerians that this is what you do if that happens and you’re running away from doing that, how do you think Nigerians will now believe you if you tell them to vote for your party?” the governor asked.
“If you say you will not honour or keep to integrity, we have no problem with that thing that is giving you confidence. What we are saying is that we want our party to win, but if you think you can do without keeping to promises you have made, so be it. Saying nobody can sack him tells you the impunity in him.”
He accused Ayu of being ungrateful to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
“I heard when he said he could have stopped Ortom from running for election. You see how ungrateful human beings can be. This was the same Governor Ortom who pleaded with us to say I can take the risk of letting Ayu become national chairman, without being greedy.
“The agreement by PDP governors was that no national chairman should come from where a governor comes from. We agreed on that, but Ortom came. And as a man we respect, he said I want to promote my people in national politics. We said okay, on your honour we let him (Ayu) be,” he said.
“This is a man who never campaigned anywhere, never printed a poster to be national chairman. Even money they gave him to print posters, he never printed any. And he (Ayu) is the one saying if he wanted to stop who brought him, a man who stood as a guarantor for him, he could have done so.”
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Ayu to kinsmen: Nobody will Unsit me as PDP chairman
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has assured his kinsmen that nobody would remove him from office.
Ayu made the remark while addressing his kinsmen of Jemgba ethnic group at his residence in the Gboko area of Benue State.
The national chairman has been having a running battle with some PDP governors including his home state Governor, Samuel Ortom, who are asking him to resign from office.
Ayu reassured the people that there was nothing to worry about over the call for him to vacate office.
He said, “The PDP is one and not divided. I am trying my best not to disappoint Benue people and Nigerians in general. So if you hear that they want to chase Ayu out as national chairman, don’t be worried; nobody is going to sack me as national chairman of our party. I will leave the seat at a day that God permits.”
He thanked Gboko people for the show of love to him, stressing that, “since I started politics in PDP in the last 30 years, Gboko has not rejected me, you are always supporting me. They say a prophet has no respect in his home, but my case is different I am overwhelmed by this great show of love. Nothing should worry you my people.”
Ayu added, “So nobody should try to bring any trouble to you. I am telling you today, PDP is one party, a party that has divisions does not win elections. No matter the strength of any party, if it does not have unity, it will lose elections.
“I have been silent over all the things you are hearing against me because I don’t want any crack in the party I belong in my state. I have the powers to say you and you will not go anywhere because I will insist that I must sign before you go anywhere.
“But I have signed for all candidates produced by the PDP to go ahead in their dreams, whether I liked it or not I signed. So I was doing that believing that I cannot shot myself in the leg.
“I want Benue to come first by winning all elections so that Nigerians will say that the national chairman has delivered his state to PDP with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar winning 90 percent of the votes and Titus Uba as governor in 2023.”
The PDP national chairman further stated that only God enthrones leadership and uses people to enthrone a person over others and protects that person.
He said, “I want to assure you that all these days, God has been protecting me even when I went on sick leave abroad, God was still protecting me.
“The Tiv people have suffered so much in this country. We are yet to get our share of the national cake, so my charge to you is not to relent prayers so that this time around come 2023, God will give us president who will work closely with the Governor of our state to wipe out our tears.
“During the senator J S Tarka’s era, God gave us a Fulani man, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, did he fight the Tiv nation? Did he kill our people? He appointed 5 ministers from Benue state and speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Chaha, Paul Unongo (Minister of steel), Isaac Shaahu (Minister of Communications), Mrs. Elizabeth Ivase (Education Minister) and Audu Ogbeh etc was he not a Fulani man?
“Another Fulani man, Yar Adua appointed a Tiv man, Michael Kaase Aondoakaa his Minister of Justice.
“Today, the flagbearer of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar who is not only a chieftaincy title holder of the Tiv people as the Zege Mule U the Tiv, he is my friend, he told me his plans for the Tiv nation. That he will wipe away the tears of the people.”
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2023: Wike, Other Aggrieved Govs leave for Spain Amid PDP Crisis
The aggrieved governor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) known as G5 has travelled to Spain for a crucial meeting amid the crisis rocking the party.
The Nation gathered that the governors left the country for Madrid on Friday night hours after the Rivers Governor laid more allegations on the party Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
Those on board with Wike are Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Samuel Ortom (Benue) as the Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi may join subsequently.
Recall that Wike, during a media chat in Port Harcourt on Friday, heaped more allegations on Ayu maintaining that the national chairman lacked the integrity to lead the party’s campaign for 2023.
Following the outcome of the party’s presidential primary election, the aggrieved Governors had insisted that it is unfair for the party to have the national chairman and presidential candidate from the North.
They said until Ayu resigns his position as chairman of the party, they would jettison the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 election.
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2023: PDP BoT Asked Ayu to Resign After Election
The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu to assure that he will resign after the 2023 election.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, Friday PDP BoT Chairman, former President of the Senate, Adolphus Wabara said “the National Chairman should give a firm commitment that he will resign after the 2023 election”.
Wabara also said the BoT charged the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to immediately convene an emergence meeting
Details shortly…
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PDP Crisis: I Won’t Back Down Until Ayu Cedes his Position To The South – Wike
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the refusal to cede the national chairmanship to the South by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will be a recipe for crisis in the party.
He stressed that his effort for amicable resolution of the crisis rocking the PDP, has been frustrated by rent seeker in the party.
The governor declared that nobody can convince him to change his stance that the PDP should yield its national chairman position to Southern Nigeria.
Governor Wike stated this when he hosted Cross River State PDP governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, House of Assembly candidates and PDP local government party chairmen, at his private residence in Rumueprikom, Obio/Akpor, Wednesday night.
During the meeting attended by the party’s South-South national vice chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, Governor Wike explained that the seeming intractable crisis in the party had lingered because some vested interests, whom he described as “hyenas and rent seekers,” have remained obstinate and averse to justice, fairness and equity in the party.
“We have finished presidential primaries, we have a presidential candidate. Is Wike saying remove presidential candidate? Is Wike saying remove vice presidential candidate? So, what are you begging me for? All I am saying, and I will continue to say is that you have taken president, give us (national) chairman.
“Nobody wants to speak the truth. If I am saying remove the presidential candidate, if I am saying remove the vice presidential candidate, then you will say why is he doing this.”
Governor Wike, maintained that he cannot be convinced to support the current status quo, where the PDP presidential candidate, national chairman and the Director General of the presidential campaign council are all from the north.
“He (national chairman) said, if the presidential candidate comes from the north, he will resign , which means he has had this in mind. Now, the thing has come to reality, now resign, no. And people are saying go and talk to Wike.
“I’ve accepted the presidential candidate, I have accepted the vice presidential candidate, what’s the problem again. You, fulfil your part. Let the South have something, that is all I’m preaching. You cannot have presidential candidate, national chairman, director general of the campaign.”
The governor said it is hypocritical for some people in the PDP to criticise Muslim/Muslim ticket, while supporting that a particular region of the country should retain the presidency for another eight years.
He insisted that for the sake of holistic peace, PDP should adhere to the tenets of its constitution, which explicitly recommends that when a presidential candidate emerges from the north, the national chairman should be from the South.
The governor said the clamour for the chairman of the PDP to be zoned to the South will persist until justice, fairness and equity prevail in the PDP.
“This is period that power game is being played. If you don’t have it now, forget it. If anybody tells you, let (Iyorchia) Ayu resign after election is conducted, then you are a foolish person. This is the time decision is being made. This is the time the presidential candidate, national chairman and the leader of campaign will sit, when election is won in February, before the president is sworn in, decisions would have been made.”
The governor disclosed that he has commenced full blown politicking ahead of the 2023 general elections, adding that those who want to undermine him and his allies will be doing so at their own peril.
He thanked Cross River PDP delegates for the support given to him during the presidential primary. According to him, he will remain eternally grateful to them and all the other delegates that voted for him.
“If there is nothing I achieved, I can go home and sleep that I won Cross River State. Not only did I win, I won very well. I feel so happy and that tells you of people who have character of steadfastness. People who will never be pushed around for whatever it is. People who believe in the principles of life, people who believe in fairness, justice and equity.”
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2023: I Want to Return PDP to Power Not to Loot – Ayu
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, said he was elected to return the party to power; and not to loot or mismanage party funds.
Ayu also pledged that the National Working Committee (NWC) under his leadership will publish the income and expenditure account in December.
Recall that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and some party leaders have alleged that Ayu is corrupt and has embezzled some party funds.
PDP National Chairman in a statement by his Special Adviser, Simon Imobo-Tswam, Friday disclosed that he has instructed the Finance Department to maintain an update on the party’s income and expenditure account for presentation to the Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) at the first anniversary of the present NWC in December.
Ayu said the party leadership under his watch is being guided by the principles of transparency and accountability.
The statement read “The PDP was not founded to be in opposition. We founded the party to access power and develop the country. And my historic task is to return the party to power. I won’t be Chairman forever. For now, my preoccupation is to return the Party to power. I did not come to steal. My public service record is there.
“I have been a leader of the National Assembly. I have been a minister many times. As a person, I have many faults, but stealing is not one of them. I am conscious of my place in history, and the NWC that I lead is guided by the twin principles of transparency and accountability.
“You may be reading many things and expecting my reaction. If we don’t always talk, it is because we want to maintain and build cohesion in the party. We don’t want continuous altercations in the PDP Family. Our eyes are on the big picture i.e. winning the 2023 general elections.”
“Therefore, let us not lose focus. Let us keep our eyes glued on the big picture. Everything else is secondary. We took office because there was crisis in the party. And we don’t want to keep moving from crisis to crisis. It’s not good for the party. We can’t be in perpetual crises, especially where the crisis is artificial.
“The NWC met and discussed the issue of Housing Allowance. It was unanimously agreed that no bribe or any form of illegality took place. A statement has since been issued to that effect. The matter has now been laid to rest.”