Court restrains PDP govs, others from disbanding pro-Wike excos in Rivers

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order against the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) governors, the National Working Committee, and the Board of Trustees from dissolving or tampering with the Rivers State Executive Committees of the party.

The court also prohibited them from forming interim committees to replace party officers loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, at state, local government, and ward levels.

Justice Lifu issued the order while delivering a ruling in an ex-parte application brought before the court by the PDP Rivers State Executive Committee, led by Mr. Aaron Chukwuemeka and his counterparts at the local governments and ward levels.

Plaintiffs in the ex-parte application marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1396/2024 are Chukwuemeka, Oye Fubara Igenewari, and ThankGod Bekee, who sued respectfully on behalf of themselves and the state, local governments, and ward executive committees.

The defendants are PDP, Umar Damagun, Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature, NWC, NEC, BOT, INEC, and Alhaji Bala Mohammed of Governors Forum as 1st to 9th defendants.

In the ex-parte motion argued on their behalf by Dr. Joshua Musa (SAN), the plaintiffs had alleged that the defendants were making clandestine moves to dissolve the legally constituted state, local governments, and ward executives committees of the PDP in Rivers State.

They also alleged that the defendants and the PDP governors were attempting to put in place interim committees to replace them to perform the duties and functions of the state, local governments, and ward executives committees of the PDP in Rivers State.

The plaintiffs said unless the defendants are restrained from carrying out unlawful acts, they would be made to suffer injustice and losses.

In his ruling, after perusing the exhibits tendered by the plaintiffs, the judge gave an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or recognizing any person or groups other than those elected at the state, local governments, and ward elections of the PDP in Rivers State.

Justice Lifu also ordered the PDP national body and others not to tamper with or dissolve the local governments and ward leadership of the PDP in the state, who were said to have been elected along with the State Executive Committee this year at various congresses of the party.

The court issued an enrolled order prohibiting the defendants from truncating the tenure of the Rivers PDP executive committees at the state level, local governments, and wards.

Justice Lifu also ordered that the defendants must not in any way allow or permit any other group or persons to perform the duties and functions of the PDP State, local governments, and ward officers elected between July 37 and August 31, 2024.

The judge also ordered the plaintiffs to file a fresh undertaking to indemnify all the defendants in case it is discovered that the restraining orders issued against them should not have been granted.

Hearing in the motion on notice was subsequently fixed for October 4, 2024.