Court extends order restraining PDP from suspending, expelling Wike until March 6

A federal high court in Abuja has extended the order restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from suspending or expelling Nyesom Wike, Rivers governor, from the party.

In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023, Wike through his lawyers asked the court to order the defendants to maintain status quo and stay all actions relating to the threats to suspend or expel him.

On February 2, James Omotosho, the presiding judge, ordered that all parties in the suit maintain peace and not take any action or step that may make the outcome of the motion “nugatory and worthless”.

Omotosho also ordered that any action to make the outcome of the motion “nugatory” shall be a nullity.

He further directed that the defendants should be served with the notice through substituted means and that it should also be pasted on the PDD national headquarters in Abuja.

At the court session on Tuesday, Joshua Musa, counsel to Wike, informed the court that parties have reached an agreement for hearing in the matter on a short date convenient for the court.

The PDP representative, Jonathan Usman, attested to the arrangement.

The PDP had already filed a notice of preliminary objection, which prompted the request.

In his ruling, Omotosho held that the “order of February 2, 2023 is hereby extended until the hearing of the interlocutory application”.

The court order was issued after counsel to the parties agreed on March 6 to present arguments on the case.

The judge also hinted that the court will take the preliminary objection, interlocutory application, as well as the originating summons on the next adjourned date.

The court order comes amid a crisis in the party which has seen Wike and his allies exclude themselves from campaigning for Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate.