Ayu steps down, replaced with Damagum
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Iyorchia Ayu has stepped down as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman and been replaced with his Deputy Umar Damagum in obedience to a court ruling and Ayu’s suspension by his local ward in Benue.
However, Damagum is a Northerner who does not satisfy the agitation of the PDP G5 Governors led by Nyesom Wike that the post be ceded to the South – the reason they refused to support Atiku Abubakar in his presidential run.
The executive committee of his Igyorov Ward in Gboko Council in Benue suspended him from the PDP on Sunday over alleged anti-party activities and failure to pay his party dues.
And on Monday, a Benue State High Court restrained 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 ruling was based on an exparte motion filed by Conrad Utaan.
Ayu had showed up in his office at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, appearing to ignore the court, per The Nation.
He had riposted on Monday that his local ward lacks the power to suspend him, the power for such, he argued, being vested in the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) he headed.
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PDP top brass press Ayu to resign for failing to deliver the Villa
Ayu on Monday also came under greater pressure to resign for failing to deliver his polling unit, ward, council, and state in the presidential vote.
PDP Deputy National Chairman Taofik Arapaja said Ayu should resign to facilitate rebuilding the party for the 2027 election cycle.
Wike and his G5 colleagues had demanded Ayu’s resignation for months.
Ayu’s suspension on Sunday came 72 hours after the PDP NWC led by him announced the suspension of two PDP former Governors – Ayo Fayose (Ekiti) and Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) – for anti-party activities.
The NWC also suspended former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, Dennis Ityavyar (from Benue), and Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara).
Arapaja argued Ayu should resign because he failed to lead the party to victory in the presidential election and also lost his polling unit, ward, council, and state to another party.
Party management not an academic exercise
Arapaja said party politics and management are not an academic exercise in which academics are regarded as experts, stressing that under Ayu’s leadership, Governors with large followings and great influence left the party without Ayu showing any concern.
His words: “Before the election, we told them that there must be justice and equity.
“We said the National Chairman should be a Southerner for the purpose of inclusiveness, having produced a presidential candidate of Northern origin. But they refused.
“When it was time to choose the vice presidential candidate, I was a member of the committee. We all agreed on Nyesom Wike.
“But they moved on without Wike and the entire G5 Governors. We had nothing to campaign with in the South.
“Another party zoned its presidency to the South. You can see the result now.
“It is time for us to go back to the drawing board and build a party in which there is justice and equity. Every political party must be able to deliver. If you are a leader and are unable to deliver, you need to step down.
“Ayu could not deliver his polling unit, his ward, local government and state, let alone the presidency.
“He is not a politician, and cannot continue to serve as the National Chairman of our party. He should step down. PDP is not a university; it is a political party.
“If he is a man of integrity, he does not need to be told to throw in the towel. The party needs to be completely rebuilt.”
Ayu’s immediate predecessor, Uche Secondus, was in 2021 removed in similar circumstances.
Secondus’s Ward executive in Rivers accused him of failing to pay his annual membership dues for 10 years. He was suspended a few weeks to the end of his tenure and did not regain the job until his tenure expired.
Ayu was elected National Chairman and resumed duty on December 9, 2021.
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