he Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its leadership from suspending or expelling Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
Justice John Kayode Omotosho made the order while ruling on an ex-parte motion by Wike in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023..
The PDP, National Working Committee (NWC), National Executive Council (NEC), Chairman Dr Iyiocha Ayu; National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are the defendants.
In the ruling delivered on February 2, Justice Omotosho said the order shall subsist pending the determination of a motion on notice filed by the applicant.
Wike, in the motion, complained of a threat by the leadership of the PDP to either suspend or expel him.
He prayed the court to 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 first to fifth respondents pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion”.
Wike also sought leave for substituted service of court papers on the respondents through the PDP national secretariat.
Justice Omotosho held: “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 first to fifth respondents by substituted means to wit, by pasting all the processes of court on PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“This matter is adjourned till the 14th day of February 2023 for hearing of the motion on notice dated and filed 2nd February 2023. Hearing notice is to be issued and served on all the respondents.”
Wike and a group of four other governors have been pushing for Ayu’s resignation because he comes from the same region as the presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, who the G5 governors have refused to support.
Source: The Nation
