Rivers: Court Restrains PDP, Others from Dissolving Pro-Wike State EXCOs

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

Justice Peter Lifu of a Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from dissolving the recently elected executives of the party in Rivers State.

Justice Lifu made the order on Tuesday while delivering ruling in an exparte application brought by some members of the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, said to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike.

Specifically, the court restrained the PDP Governors Forum, National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party from tampering with or dissolving the executive of the PDP from the wards up to the state chapter of the party in Rivers State.

Besides, the defendants, by the court’s ruling, are not to constitute any interim committee to replace the officers of the party at the state, local governments and ward levels.

In an enrolled order obtained by THISDAY, Justice Lifu warned that on no ground should the tenure of the Rivers 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 anyway 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 27 and  August 31, 2024.

The 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 PDP, Umar Damagun, Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature, NWC, NEC, BoT, INEC and Alhaji Bala Mohammed of Governors Forum as first to nineth defendants.

In the ex-parte motion argued on their behalf by 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 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 the state.

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

Justice Lifu, after listening to the applicants’ lawyer and perusing the exhibits tendered, subsequently restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or recognizing any other person or groups other than those elected at the state, local governments and ward elections of the PDP in the 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 the defendants 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.