Ayu’s Withdrawal Of Court Case Against PDP, Pathway To Electing New Chairman — G-60 Lawmakers

All is now set for the election/appointment of a new National Chairman for People’s Democratic Party (PDP) following the withdrawal of court case against the party by the former national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, who on Wednesday, in a show of party patriotism and commitment, withdrew all his pending Appeals at the Court of Appeal, where he was challenging the party for removing him from office.

In a notice of withdrawal of appeal tagged CA/MK/88/2024 SUIT NO: MHC/85/2023 dated April 15, made available to journalists, the Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division, Benue State, revealed that Ayu has withdrawn the appeal against the respondents filed on June 27, 2023 via Notice of Appeal dated the June 26, 2023.

The lawsuit, which was between Ayu (Appellant) and Engr. Terhide Utaan and the PDP as the respondents, read in part, “Take notice that the appellant herein intends and doth hereby wholly withdraw the appeal against the respondents filed on the 27th day of June 2023 vide Notice of Appeal dated the 26th day of June 2023.”

However, reacting to the development, the G-60 PDP lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly commended Senator Iyorchia Ayu for withdrawing the lawsuit,
noting that the action that made the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, to refuse to step down until the withdrawal of all cases, have now paved the way for him to hand over to a new occupant of the office from the North Central zone.

According to the G-60 PDP federal lawmakers led by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, the member representing Ideato federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Ayu’s action has removed the last bottleneck and excuse being given by Damagun to hang on to power and opened the expressway without any excuse for Damagun to revert back to his position as Deputy National Chairman (North).

The lawmakers, who have been clamouring for reform of the party including seeking the resignation of the acting national chairman, Umar Damagun, stated that with Ayu’s withdrawal of pending court case against the PDP, the PDP NEC will proceed with the election of a North-Central candidate as a substantive National Chairman, during their NEC meeting slated for Thursday, April 18.

They claimed that despite the plot of rogues in the party working for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the stepdown of Damagun from office was irreversible.