Court restrains Ayu from parading self as PDP National Chairman
A High Court sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has restrained Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, from parading himself as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), pending the determination of the substantive suit which has been adjourned to April 17, 2023 for hearing.
The Presiding Judge, W.I. Kpochi, gave the order on Monday while ruling on a motion ex parte marked MHC/633/2023 filed by Conrad Terhide Utaan.
“An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st defendant Senator Dr. lyorchia 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 judge ruled.
“The application is supported by a fifteen (15) paragraph affidavit to which is annexed three exhibits as Exhibits A1, A2, and B which are the Applicant’s membership card of the 2nd defendant, receipts for payment of dues and a vote of no confidence passed on the 1st Defendant/Respondent by the Igyorov Council Ward of the 2nd Defendant in Gboko Local Government, Benue State.
“Upon hearing Mr M. T Assoh of Learned Counsel ably move the application and upon a dispassionate consideration of the facts placed before me in the pool of the affidavit evidence, and again, upon the consideration of the issues distilled in the written address by M.T Assoh of Learned Counsel, it is
my candid view that this is a proper case to grant the interim injunction as craved.
“Consequently, this application is hereby granted in terms of the reliefs captured in the motion papers as herein before reproduced.
“It is so ordered.”
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.
Recall that 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.