In what could easily pass for medicine after a political death, the embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, yesterday, was compelled by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), to step aside in deference to a restraining order by the Benue High Court on Monday.
To this end, the deputy national chairman of the party, Ambassador Illya Damagum, has taken over in acting capacity pending the outcome of the case of anti-party suit against Ayu.
This notwithstanding, Ayu’s kinsmen from Igyorov ward and Gboko Local Government of Benue State, at a press conference, where they exonerated Ayu of any wrong doing, insisted those that signed the suspension letter against Ayu had their signatures forged and subsequently kidnapped.
Moving on, the NWC of the party, has immediately approved the nomination of some party stakeholders to serve on the ward congresses electoral committee to conduct party primary congresses in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States.
This is as the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has advised Ayu to come to terms with the reality that his reign in the party has come to an abrupt end.
At the same time, a former deputy national chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, has accused Ayu of behaving like a headmaster and treating the affairs of the party as a private entity.
Similarly, the Enugu East Senator and former Governor of the state, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, has also asked Ayu to vacate office as PDP national chairman forthwith, saying, “his deception and abysmal performance is unmitigated” and as such, an evil that befell the party.
Credit: This Day