Just In: Court ‘Ties Arms’ of PDP, Ayu, Gives Verdict in Favour of Wike
- The governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, has secured a temporary legal shield to protect him from being suspended or expelled by the PDP
- Justice of the Federal High Court in Abuja, while ruling on an ex-parte motion, restrained the PDP and its leadership from taking steps to suspend or expel Wike from the party
- The Rivers state governor had filed a suit complaining of threat by the leadership of the PDP to either suspend or expel him
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FCT, Abuja - A Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its leadership from taking steps to either suspend or expel Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state from the party.
Justice John Kayode Omotosho issued the order while ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by Wike in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023, The Nation reported.
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Listed as defendants in the suit are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP; the National Executive Council (NEC) of the PDP; its Chairman, Iyiocha Ayu; the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the ruling delivered on Thursday, February 2, Justice Omotosho said the order shall subsist pending the determination of a motion on notice filed by the applicant.
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Wike accuses PDP of threatening to suspend him
Governor Wike had, in the motion, complained of a threat by the leadership of the PDP to either suspend or expel him.
He then prayed the court to, among others, issue an order for the respondents to maintain the status quo and stay all “actions in this matter relating to the threat to suspend or expel the applicant by the 1st to 5th respondents pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.”
Wike also sought leave for a substituted service of court papers in relation to the case on the respondents, except INEC through the national secretariat of the PDP.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho said:
“An order is hereby made that all parties in this suit shall maintain peace and shall not take any action or step or act that may make the outcome of the motion on notice dated and filed on 2nd February, 2023 nugatory and worthless.
“Any act or step or action made so as ta make the outcome of the motion on notice dated and filed 2nd February, 2023 nugatory shall be a nullity.
“Leave is hereby granted to the applicant to serve the originating motion, motion on notice and all other processes of this court in this suit on the 1st to 5th respondents by substituted means to wit, by pasting all the saxi processes of court on PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja."
Wike versus PDP: Matter adjourned till February 14
The court subsequently adjourned the matter till Tuesday, February 14 for the hearing of the motion filed by Governor Wike through his lawyers.
“Hearing notice is to be issued and served on all the respondents,” Justice Omotosho said.
Governor Wike is the arrowhead of the G5 Governors, a group of five aggrieved PDP governors who withdrew their support for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, following Iyprchia Ayu's refusal to leave the national chairmanship seat for a southerner.
Others are Governors Ikpeazu (Abia), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).
PDP suspends Senator Nnamani, others for anti-party activities
Meanwhile, Legit.ng notes that Governor Wike took legal action weeks after the PDP suspended Chimaroke Nnamani, senator representing Enugu west senatorial district, and some members over alleged anti-party activities.
Nnamani had snubbed the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and endorsed Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC)'s flagbearer.
Source: Legit.ng
