A Makurdi High Court has upheld the sack of Iyorchia Ayu as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The court presided over by Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the Chief Judge of Benue State, held that Ayu had lost his membership of the party in his Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko Local Government Area, LGA, of the state.
According to Justice Ikpambese, Ayu could no longer remain in office as the National Chairman of the PDP.
Benue PDP Ward Executive Committee suspended Ayu for failing to pay his membership dues and alleged anti-party activities.
Following Ayu’s suspension, Terhide Utaan, a party member, obtained an order from the court stopping Ayu from parading himself as the national chairman of the party.
But Ayu, through his counsel, Johnson Usman, went to court to challenge the jurisdiction of the court and the locus standi of the plaintiff.
He argued that the matter was an internal affair of a political party, insisting that the plaintiff did not exhaust the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the PDP.
Ruling on the matter, the judge pointed out that Ayu did not show proof that he had paid his membership subscription fee.
The judge also affirmed that Ayu did not challenge his suspension before any organ of the PDP or before any court, thereby leaving the court with the impression that he consented to his suspension by his party’s Ward Executive Committee.
