Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP’s National Chairman who has been placed on administrative leave, may find it challenging to reclaim his position because certain powerful party members are opposed to it.
The PDP chieftains, who were selected from both the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee, blamed Atiku for the party’s failure to win the 2023 presidential election and declared their intention to prevent him from being re-elected after his Tuesday decision to step down.
Ayu was expelled by his Igyorov Ward in the Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State a few days later, and Justice Wilfred Kpochi of the state High Court in Makurdi issued an ex parte injunction prohibiting him from holding himself out as the party chairman.
In accordance with the court’s directive, Ayu resigned on Tuesday, and Umar Damagum, the party’s deputy national chairman for the north, took over as acting national chairman until the leadership situation was resolved or a legitimate chairman emerged.