From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Abuja division of the Federal High Court has stopped the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) from taking further steps regarding the suspension or expulsion of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike from the party, pending the determination of the motion he filed against the party.
Besides, the court has vowed to declare any action or steps taken by the defendants to make the motion on notice a nugatory nullity.
In a motion marked FHC/ ABJ/ CS/139/2023, Wike has the Court to stop his political platform, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from suspending or expelling him for being anti-party.
The PDP, its NEC, NWC, national chairman Iyorchia Ayu, national secretary Samuel Anyanwo, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were named as respondents in the lawsuit brought before Justice J.K. Omotosho.
The G5 Governors – Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Samuel Ortom (Benue) – have been campaigning against their party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar – after Atiku rejected their demand to remove the PDP Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu.
They had accused Ayu of siding with Atiku during the presidential primary of the PDP which the latter won, beating Wike to the second position.
Already, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, has suspended Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, former Governor Ayo Fayose’s son, Oluwajomiloju, and other candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu, Imo and Ekiti States.
The NWC also dissolved the Ekiti State Executive Committee which was populated by Fayose’s loyalists.
In a suit before Justice J.K Omotosho, Wike asked the court to declare that none of the respondents could take any disciplinary action on him while the originating summons was being decided.
Already, the court has granted an order directing him to serve his court processes on the 1st through 5th respondents in this lawsuit, specifically by posting all relevant court documents on the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
He also asked the court to grant an order recognising his mode of serving the respondents the court processes as proper service.
Wike is in loggerheads with the leadership over his decision to pull his support for the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, after Mr Abubakar defeated him at the primary election.
The matter has been adjourned to February 14 for hearing.