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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
A high court sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has granted an ex-parte application restraining Senator Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The application brought before the court by Engr Conrad Terhide Utaan sought Ayu to step aside honourably because he wasn’t able to lead the party to victory and allow the party to move on without him.
By this ex-parte application, the Plaintiff/Applicant principally seeks the order couched thus: “An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st defendant Senator Dr Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) having lost membership of the party, pending the hearing and determination of Motion on Notice already filed.”
“The application is supported by a 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.”
After hearing the submission by the Counsel to the applicant, Mr MT Assoh, and upon a dispassionate consideration of the facts placed before him in the pool of the affidavit evidence, and again, upon the consideration of the issues distilled in the written address by MT Assoh, Justice Wilfred Kpochi granted the injunction.
In his submission, Kpochi said “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.”
He adjourned to 17/4/2023 for hearing.
Speaking to newsmen in Makurdi, Terhide Utaan, said “I have just obtained an order signed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi of the Makurdi High Court about a matter that I took before the court between myself and the former Chairman of our Party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu and the PDP.
Utaan said “We naturally expected that out of the performance that we have just recorded as a party in Benue during the elections, we expected Ayu, like it is done in senile climes, to step aside honourably because he wasn’t able to lead the party to victory and allow the party to move on without him.
“Unfortunately he has refused to show or display that kind of honour and I thought it wise to approach the court to see how to agree with the position of his ward who only, 24 hours ago, suspended him from the party.”
While insisting that Sen Ayu cannot be the National Chairman of a party that he is not a member of, Utaan said, “Fortunately for us as a party, Iyorchia Ayu is no longer a member of the Peoples Democratic Party as declared by his ward and under normal circumstances, he has no reason whatsoever to continue as the national chairman of our party.”
