Wike asks court to stop PDP from sanctioning him for anti-party activities

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, to stop the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from suspending or expelling him from the party.

Wike and four other governors – Samuel Ortom (Benue State), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State), Seyi Makinde (Oyo State), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State) – had boycotted the PDP presidential campaigns since September last year to press home their demand for the resignation of the party National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

The governors had listed Ayu’s resignation from the position as a pre-condition for the support of the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in this month’s election.

After the quintet announced the plan to name their preferred presidential candidate last month, the party promised to respond appropriately to any move by the G-5 to endorse any candidate rather than Abubakar.

The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) had a few weeks ago suspended the former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, for alleged anti-party activities.

READ ALSO: PDP slams Wike’s withdrawal of venue, accuses him of working for Tinubu

In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023 filed on February 2 by his lawyers, D. Y. Musa (SAN), Douglas Moru, and C. C. Chibuike, the governor asked the court to order the defendants to maintain the status quo and stay all actions on the threats to suspend or expel him from the PDP.

He also asked the court to stop the defendants from suspending him pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.

PDP, Ayu, NWC, the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, the National Executive Committee (NEC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were listed as defendants in the suit.

After hearing the motion, Justice J.K. Omotosho ordered all the parties in the suit to remain peaceful and avoid taking any action that might make the outcome of the motion “nugatory and worthless.”

He later adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit till February 14.

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