The stage is now set for the election or appointment of a new National Chairman for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) following a significant move by former chairman Iyorchia Ayu. On Wednesday, Ayu demonstrated his unwavering dedication to the party by withdrawing all pending appeals at the Court of Appeal, where he had been contesting his removal from office.
In a notice of withdrawal of appeal, referenced as CA/MK/88/2024 SUIT NO: MHC/85/2023 and dated April 15, 2024, the Court of Appeal of Nigeria in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, acknowledged Ayu’s decision to withdraw his appeal against the respondents. The appeal, filed on June 27, 2023, challenged the party’s decision to remove him from office.
The lawsuit, involving Ayu as the appellant and Terhide Utaan, alongside the PDP as the respondent, stated: “Take notice that the appellant herein intends and hereby wholly withdraws the appeal against the respondents filed on the 27th day of June 2023, via Notice of Appeal dated the 26th day of June 2023.”
Reacting to the news, the G60 PDP lawmakers in the National Assembly commended Ayu, for withdrawing the lawsuit, noting that the action that made the party’s Acting Chairman, Umar Damagun, not to step down until the withdrawal of all cases pave way for him to hand over to someone from Nigeria’s North-Central zone.
According to the G60 PDP lawmakers, led by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, Ayu’s action has removed the last bottleneck and excuse been given by Damagun to hang on to power and has opened the way for Damagun to revert back to his position as party Deputy Chairman.
The lawmakers, who have been clamouring for reform of the party, including the resignation of Damagun, stated that with this withdrawal, the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) will proceed with the election of a North-Central candidate as the party’s chair during Thursday’s NEC meeting.
They also insisted that the stepping down of Damagun, whom they accused of working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is irreversible.
