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Senator Iyorchia Ayu has been sacked as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Ayu was sacked by a Makurdi High Court on the grounds of losing his membership of the PDP in Igyorov Council Ward in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.
The PDP National Chairman was accused of defaulting in the payment of his membership fee by the party.
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Daily Report Nigeria reports that Ayu was dragged to court by a member of the PDP in Benue State, Conrad Terhide Utaan following his suspension from the Igyorov Ward executive committee after a vote of no confidence was passed on him.
Utaan sought for the declaration that Ayu was no longer fit and qualified to hold office as the national chairman of the PDP for losing his membership of the party in his Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko, where he originally registered as a member of PDP.
Utaan also asked the court to restrain Ayu cannot parading himself out, function and preside over the affairs of the PDP as its national chairman having ceased to enjoy all the rights and privileges of membership by virtue of his suspension by the ward executive committee of the party in his Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko Local Government Area.
Ayu through his counsel Johnson Usman, filed preliminary objections to the suit bordering on the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit, saying it was an internal affair of a political party.
He also challenged the locus standi of the plaintiff to institute the action, adding that the plaintiff had not exhausted the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the party, amongst other objections.
Utaan through his counsel, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, argued against the preliminary objections and urged the court to discountenance it and grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.
Delivering judgment, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, ruled that by virtue of Article 8(9)of the constitution of the PDP, Ayu ceased to be a member of the PDP with his failure to pay his subscription and membership fee.
On the claim that the ward executive committee of the party cannot discipline a member of the National Executive Committee, NEC, Justice Ikpambese held that, going by the provisions of Article 46(1)of the PDP Constitution, the ward executive of the PDP has the powers to discipline a member of the NEC of the party.
The Judge pointed out that Ayu did not show proof that he has paid his membership subscription fee, and did not challenge his suspension before any organ of the party or before any court, thereby leaving the court with the impression that he has consented to his suspension by his ward executive committee.
He said Ayu had lost his membership of the party even before he was suspended by his ward executive committee.
Justice Ikpambese accordingly resolved all the issues in favour of the plaintiff.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Utaan, Mike Assoh described the judgment as sound, adding that the court has validated the action of the Igyorov Ward Executive Committee of the party against Ayu.
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