This was made known by Ayu’s special assistant on communication, Simon Imobo-tswam.
The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu has said he will not keep silent following his removal.
He is now set to challenge his suspension at a Benue state high court, Makurdi.
This was made known by Ayu’s special assistant on communication, Simon Imobo-tswam, few hours after the party announced the appointment of the deputy national chairman (North), Umar Damagum, as the acting national chairman.
Recall that the Igorov ward executive committee in the Gboko local government area of Benue state, on Sunday, March 26, suspended Ayu for engaging in anti-party activities and for failing to pay his membership dues.
In the aftermath of the suspension, the Benue state high court restrained Ayu from parading himself as the chairman of the party following a suit filed by a former aide to the state governor, Conrad Utaan.
Ayu and the PDP were listed as the first and second respondents in the suit.
Imobo-tswam noted that his principal will challenge the court order barring him from parading himself as the PDP national chairman legally.
He also added that the PDP “has said everything concerning the issue. So, there is no need to say more.”
Meanwhile, Damagum, while speaking on Tuesday, explained that he was taking over the party leadership in an acting capacity “to fulfil all righteousness.”
He said that, “We are here to fulfil all righteousness. We have a court order restraining our national chairman and we are law-abiding.
“I will be working in an acting capacity pending the determination of the court.
‘’I want to use this opportunity to enjoin the party members to give me the cooperation we all used to have with Ayu,” Damagum added.
In solidarity with Ayu, some PDP stakeholders from his ward, Igyorev ward, Benue state, protested at the party’s secretariat on Tuesday.
They expressed support for the suspended chairman and further passed a confidence vote in him.
They claimed that the signatures on the suspension letter were forged, stressing that no member of the PDP executive committee of the Igyorov council ward signed it or caused it to be signed on his or her behalf.
The spokesman for the PDP presidential campaign council, Dino Melaye argued that Ayu’s decision to obey the court order was a testament to the party’s belief in the supremacy of the law.
While noting that Ayu reserved the right to seek legal redress, the former lawmaker who represented Kogi West senatorial district at the national assembly, warned the aggrieved governors of the party, popularly known as G5, not to be too fast in celebrating because “Ayu did not resign, he only stepped aside in obedience to a court order.”
Melaye noted that, “This is no celebration time for the G5 governors. By this move, the party and the chairman have both demonstrated that they are law-abiding.
“Whether the ex-parte order was well procured, purchased or induced, Ayu decided to obey it as a law-abiding citizen. There is no point in taking the laws into our hands.’
“While this crisis lasted, Governor Wike kept repeating that he and his group wanted the chairmanship of the party to go to the South but in compliance with the constitution of the party, the position has remained in the north.
“Now, has this helped their cause?,” he added.
In the same vein, a member of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), Timothy Osadolor, noted that anyone ruling out the chances of Ayu returning to the office “does not know the stuff he is made of.”