Court restrains PDP Govs, NWC,others from dissolving pro-Wike PDP excos in Rivers

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors, National Working Committee (NWC), and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party from tampering with or dissolving the Executive Committees of the party in Rivers State.

The court also restrained them from constituting any interim committee to replace the officers of the party at the state, local governments, and ward levels who are pro-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in Rivers State.

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

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 Rivers State, who were said to have been elected along with the State Executive Committee this year at various congresses of the party.

In an enrolled order made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, the court ordered that on no ground shall the tenure of the Rivers state PDP executive committees at the state, local governments, and the wards be truncated by the defendants.

Besides, the judge 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 and August 2024.

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

The defendants are the PDP, Umar Damagun, Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature, NWC, NEC, BoT, INEC, and Alhaji Bala Mohammed of Governors Forum listed as 1st to 9th defendants in the ex-parte motion argued on behalf of the plaintiffs 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 executive committees of the PDP in Rivers State.

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

Plaintiffs asserted that, unless the defendants are restrained from carrying out the unlawful act, they would be made to suffer injustice and losses.

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

Meanwhile, the judge has 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 ought not to have been granted.

Hearing in the motion on notice instituted by the plaintiffs against the nine defendants has been fixed for October 4, 2024.

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