A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from suspending Rivers State Governor, Barr. Nyesom Wike, from the party over alleged anti-party activities.
This was as the Court, on Monday, adjourned to February 14, 2023 for hearing in a suit filed by Governor Wike against the main opposition party leadership.
Justice J. K. Omotosho announced this shortly after granting an exparte application ordering parties in the suit to maintain status quo and not do anything that may likely “affect the outcome of the suit currently before the court.”
Wike in the Motion on Notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023 dated February 2, 2023, is challenging alleged plans by his party, the PDP to either suspend or expel him from the party.
In the exparte application, Wike prayed the court for an order “maintaining status quo and staying all actions in the matter relating to the threat to suspend or expel the applicant by the 1st to 5th respondents pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice”.
Listed in the suit are PDP, National Working Committee (NWC), National Executive Committee (NEC), National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 6th respondents respectively.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho held that, “Upon reading the affidavit in support of the motion exparte deposed to by Precious Ikpe and after hearing Dr J. Y. Musa, SAN for the applicant, it is hereby ordered that all parties maintain peace and shall not take any action or step or act that may make the outcome of the Motion on Notice dated February 2 nugatory and worthless.”
The court further ordered that any of such action so taken shall be a nullity.
Justice Omotosho also granted the application seeking for leave to serve the court documents on the 1st to 5th respondents, adding that hearing notice be issued and served on the respondents.
The decision of the PDP to impose sanctions on disloyal members who opposed the party’s interests ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general elections may have necessitated the filing of the suit by Gov. Wike.
Former Enugu State governor, Chimaroke Nnamani and several other members of the paty were recently suspended by the main opposition party due to alleged anti-party activities.
Wike risks the same punishment largely due to his persistent anti-PDP rhetoric and failure to publicly endorse the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
