Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State has gone to court, asking that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should be stopped from suspending or expelling him from the party.
This was even as the PDP said that there was no plan to suspend the governor, describing the story as speculation.
Governo Wike instituted a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), against the PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively, pleading that he should be saved from the embarrassment of suspension.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023, the Governor also joined the National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu; National Secretary of PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 4th to 6th respondents respectively.
Governor Wike is praying for an order directing all parties to maintain status quo and stay all actions in the matter relating to the threat to suspend or expel him by the 1st to 5th respondents pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.
The judge, Justice James Omotosho had, on February 2, given an interim order against the party and others listed in the face of Wike’s motion dated 2 February.
The judge, who extended the restraining order on 14 February, held that all parties should maintain a status quo pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
Upon resumed hearing today, February 6, counsel to Governor Wike, Dr. Joshua Musa, SAN, informed the court that the matter was adjourned for hearing and he was ready to proceed.
He said that the fundamental right of his client to freedom of association was being breached due to the threat by the respondents to suspend and subsequently expel him from the party, hence, the need to approach the court.
Responding, lawyer to the PDP and others, Johnson Usman, SAN, disagreed with Musa’s submission, saying that the case was only based on speculation as Governor Wike had failed to provide any evidence to substantiate that the respondents intended to suspend or expel him from the party.
He said that the party had not contemplated suspending or expelling members of the G5 Governors or the Integrity Group.
“We have said that there is no threat to suspend the applicant and the onus is on him to prove this.”
Source: NAN.
