By Wahab Abdulah
A Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governors from dissolving the executive committees of the Rivers State chapter.
The court equally stopped them from constituting any interim committee to replace the officers of the party at the state, local government and ward levels who are loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)’s Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Justice Peter Lifu gave the order in a ruling on an ex-parte motion moved by Dr Joshua Musa, SAN, on behalf of the Rivers State Executive Committee (SEC) and others at the local government and ward levels.
The judge also ordered the PDP national body and others listed as defendants not to tamper with the local government and ward leadership of the party in Rivers, elected along with the SEC this year at various congresses of the party.
He ordered that on no ground should the tenure of the executive committees at the state, local governments and the wards be truncated by the defendants, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
Although the order was made on Tuesday, the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the enrolled order was made available on Wednesday.
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 the state, local government and ward executive committees respectfully.
They had sued the PDP, Umar Damagun, acting national chairman; Samuel Anyanwu, the party’s secretary; Umar Bature; National Working Committee (NWC); National Executive Committee (NEC); Board of Trustees (BOT).
Others are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Alhaji Bala Mohammed, chairman of PDP Governors Forum as 1st to 9th defendants.
In the motion argued by Musa, the plaintiffs had alleged that the defendants were making clandestine moves to dissolve the legally constituted state, local government and ward executives committees of the party in the 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 their duties and functions.
The plaintiffs asserted that unless the defendants were restrained from carrying out the unlawful act, they would be made to suffer injustice and losses.
After listening to the lawyer and perusing the exhibits tendered, Justice Lifu restrained INEC from accepting or recognising any other person or groups other than those elected at the state, local government and ward elections of the PDP in Rivers.
The judge, however, 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.
He subsequently adjourned the matter until October 4 for hearing.
