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.
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.
Omotosho also ordered that any act or step or 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 will “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 Abi, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, and Samuel Ortom of Benue — have not declared support for Abubakar and have boycotted the party’s presidential rallies.
