2023 Election: Court stops PDP from suspending Wike, Fubara, others

ABUJA—A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, halted plans by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to suspend Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his loyalists in the state, following their alleged involvement in anti-party activities.

Among those that the court restrained the national leadership of the party from suspending include Rivers State governor-elect, Siminlalayi Fubara and his deputy, Dr Ngozi Odu.

The court, in its judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that there was merit in the suit brought to safeguard their membership of the party.

The court held that PDP, being an organisation that operates within the confines of a constitution, must at all times follow the due process of law.

The court held that arbitrarily suspending the applicants without recourse to the rule of law, would amount to a flagrant breach of their constitutional rights to freedom of association.

Justice Ekwo stressed that the court was empowered to intervene in the affairs of a political party, whenever there is a breach or the likelihood of a violation of its own laid-down rules and regulations.

He held that the court has the power to grant redress to persons, who have established that there are planned actions that could lead to the infringement of their rights.

The court, hence, restrained the national leadership of the PDP from suspending Wike, Fubara, his deputy and other chieftains of the party in Rivers State.

It will be recalled that the court had prior to the presidential election, barred the PDP and its leadership from taking steps to either suspend or expel Wike, who had openly campaigned against the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar.

The court issued the interim restraining order on February 2, while the presidential election held on February 25.