The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr. Iyorchia Ayu has told the Executive Committee of his Ward that they lack the power to suspend him.
Recall that the Executive Committee of Igyorov Ward in Gboko local government area of Benue State where Ayu hails from had on Sunday passed a resolution suspending him from office following a no-confidence vote passed on him by the Ward executive.
The leadership of the Ward accused him of anti-party activities that led to the loss of the PDP at the national and state levels in the just concluded general elections as well as failure to pay his annual dues as required by the PDP constitution.
Reacting to the suspension on Monday, Ayu said those who suspended him were illiterates and ignorant of the provisions of the PDP constitution.
In a statement on Monday signed on his behalf by his media aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam, the chairman said some of his Ward executive members were being rumor guided by those he described as political gamblers "to cause mischief and nothing more".
He disparaged the Ward resolution that suspended him, saying that it was crafted by "illiterates" and some members of the Ward executive were forced into signing it.
However, he said only the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) has the power to suspend him.
According to him, some of the Exco members who refused to sign the resolution were being held hostage in an unnamed location in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.