After the harm has been done and death following, crisis – ridden People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has dropped its National chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, and replaced him with Deputy National Chairman, North, Ambassador Umar Katagum.
The embattled Ayu’s position as Chairman at a time the party’s Presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, is also a northerner was the cause of the crisis within the party and the reason Atiku lost the support of G5 governors and subsequent defeat at the poll February 25, 2023.
The issue in contention at the time was that the party’s National Chairman and it’s Presidential candidate must not come from the same north geopolitical zone.
The National Working Committee (NWC) took the decision to drop Ayu on Tuesday, citing suspension by his ward in Benue State and a Court order barring him from parading himself as party chairman as reasons for throwing him out.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at an emergency meeting today, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, acknowledge the Order of the Benue State High Court, dated March 27, 2023, with regards to the Chairmanship position of our great Party,” the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said in a statement.
“After a careful consideration of the Court Order and in line with Section 45 (2) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), the NWC resolved that the Deputy National Chairman (North) His Excellency, Amb. Umar Ililya Damagum assumes the National Chairmanship of our Party in an acting capacity with effect from today, Tuesday, March 28, 2023.”
