The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has spoken on the removal of Dr. Iyorcha Ayu as the national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
Wike rejoiced over the removal of Ayu at the inauguration of the Trans-Kalabari Road Phase 1, Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
“You see how God works? All those people who were plotting evil against us, they are now the ones suffering it,” he said.
The Informant247 earlier reported that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has announced Iliya Umar Damagum as the acting national chairman of the party.
The new appointment came following the court order restraining Ayu from parading himself as the number one citizen of the main opposition party.
The Informant247 earlier reported that the Benue State chapter of the party suspended Ayu over alleged anti-party activities.
The suspension letter dated March 24, 2023 was signed by 12 executive members of Igyorov ward of Gboko LGA, Benue state.
The letter stated that the national chairman did not work for the success of the party in Igyorov ward in the 2023 general election.
The party also accused the chairman of not casting his vote during the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections.
A Benue State High Court led by Justice W. I Kpochi, restrained the national chairman “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.”
Ayu has said the executive committee of his ward does not have the power to suspend him from the party.
He on Monday March 27 said those who suspended him were ignorant of the laws of the party and illiterates.
He made this revelation in a statement released by his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam.
He said some of the ward executive committee members were being monitored and coersed by those he referred to as political gamblers “to cause mischief and nothing more”.
He condemned the suspension and said the resolution was written by “illiterates” and that some others were forced to sign the resolution.
The national chairman of the party said only the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) can suspend him.
Governor Wike on Monday March 27 supported the suspension of Ayu from the party by his ward.
He said he supported the suspension because Ayu contributed to the colossal failure of the party in the 2023 general elections.
The Governor said: “I am in support of the suspension.” Wike replied when asked if he was behind the actions of the PDP officials in Benue State.
“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.