By Ihie Grace
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr Iyorchia Ayu has said that the Executive Committee of his Ward lacks the power to suspend him.
The Executive Committee of Ayu’s PDP Igyorov Ward in Gboko local government area of Benue State, on Sunday, passed a resolution suspending him from office following a no confidence vote passed on him by the Ward executive.
The Ward leadership accused Ayu of anti- party activities that led to the loss of the PDP at the national and state levels in the just concluded general elections.
The Ward leaders also accused the party chairmen of failure to pay his annual dues as required by the PDP constitution.
But in a reaction on Monday, Ayu said those who suspended him were illiterates and ignorant of provisions of the PDP constitution.
In a statement on Monday signed by his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam, the chairman said some of his Ward executive members were being tele-guided by those he described as political gamblers “to cause mischief and nothing more”.
He faulted the Ward resolution that suspended him, saying that it was drafted by “illiterate same” and some members of the Ward executive were forced into signing it.
Ayu said only the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) has the powers to suspend him.
According to him, some of the Exco members who refused to sign the resolution were being held hostage in an unnamed location in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.