Wike asks court to restrain PDP from suspending, expelling him

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, has asked a federal high court in Abuja to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from suspending or expelling him from the party.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023, Wike through his lawyers — J.Y. Musa, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN); Douglas Moru, and C.C. Chibuike — asked the court to order the defendants to maintain status quo and stay all actions relating to the threats to suspend or expel him.

The defendants in the suit are the PDP; national working committee (NWC) of the PDP; national executive committee (NEC) of the PDP; Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the PDP; Samuel Anyawu, national secretary of the PDP; and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In the ex parte motion filed on February 2, before J.K. Omotosho, the judge, Wike is asking the court to restrain the defendants from suspending him pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.

After hearing the motion, the judge ordered that all parties in the suit maintain peace and “not take any action or step or act that may make the outcome of the motion “nugatory and worthless”.

Omotosho also ordered that any action made 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.

The judge then adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit till February 14.

The development comes weeks after the PDP suspended Chimaroke Nnamani, senator representing Enugu west senatorial district, and some members over alleged anti-party activities.

The PDP had also warned that it would “respond” to those who are its members but do not support the presidential bid of Atiku Abubakar.

Wike and his allies — Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, and Samuel Ortom of Benue — have not declared support for Abubakar and have boycotted the party’s presidential campaign rallies.

Wike and his allies are demanding the resignation of Ayu as the party’s chairperson.