Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Southern Nigeria has asked a federal high court in Abuja to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from suspending or expelling him from the party.
Gatekeepers News reports that Wike filed this in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023, through his lawyers — DY Musa, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN); Douglas Moru, and C.C. Chibuike.
The Rivers State Governor asked the court to order the defendants to maintain the status quo and stay all actions relating to the threats to suspend or expel him.
The defendants in the suit are the PDP; the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP; the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP; the National chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu; National Secretary of the PDP, Samuel Anyawu; and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the ex parte motion filed on February 2, before J.K. Omotosho, the judge, Governor Wike is asking the court to restrain the defendants from suspending him pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.
Justice Omotosho after hearing the motion ordered all parties in the suit to maintain peace and “not take any action or step or act that may make the outcome of the motion “nugatory and worthless”.
The Judge also ordered that any action made to make the outcome of the motion “nugatory” shall be a nullity.
He further directed that the defendants should be served with the notice through substituted means and that it should also be pasted on the PDD national headquarters in Abuja.
Justice Omotosho then adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit till February 14.
This is coming comes weeks after the PDP suspended the senator representing Enugu West senatorial district, Chimaroke Nnamani, and some members over alleged anti-party activities.
The PDP had also warned that it would “respond” to those who are its members but do not support the presidential bid of Atiku Abubakar.
Meanwhile, the Southern Governors of the party also known as G-5 which include Wike, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, and Samuel Ortom of Benue are yet to declare their support for Abubakar and have boycotted the party’s presidential campaign rallies.
They are demanding the resignation of Ayu as the party’s chairperson.
