The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appointed, Mr. Umar Damagum, Deputy National Chairman (North) as teh acting Chairman of the Party.
Mr. Damagun will replace Iyorchia Ayu as the national chairman of the party.
The National Working Committee took the decision to replace Dr. Ayu at an emergency meeting on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, following a court order from the Benue State High Court, dated March 27, 2023, with regards to the Chairmanship position of the Party.
The court restrained Dr. Ayu from parading as the chairman of the party pending the determination of the substantive suit which has been adjourned to April 17, 2023, for a hearing.
A member of the party from Benue Terhide Utaan, who is the plaintiff before Justice W. I Kpochi, obtained the order stopping Ayu from parading himself as national chairman of the party.
The plaintiff after obtaining the court order told journalists that following Ayu’s suspension by his Igyorov Ward Exco, it was wrong for him to continue as the PDP chair. He argued that such a move will further cause chaos.
Before his suspension, there were calls for Ayu to leave the post led by Governor Nyesom Wik alongside 4 other Governors wherein they argued that since the party’s presidential candidate for the election Atiku Abubakar is from northern Nigeria – Ayu – who is from the same region – should pave the way for a southerner to assume the office.