A Port Harcourt division of the Rivers State High Court has barred the state executives of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Aaron Chukwuemeka from parading themselves as Exco of the party.
This was contained in a ruling on an interlocutory injunction delivered by presiding judge, Justice Stephen Jumbo, on Monday.
The case was filed by two Port Harcourt based legal practitioners, Edwin Woko, Love Otuonye, and two others who are members of the PDP against the party’s National chairman, state chairman, and nine others praying the court to declare null and void the purported PDP local government and ward congresses conducted the 319 wards and 23 LGAs by pro-Wike supporters on 27th of July, 10th August, and 31st August last year.
The applicants had contended that all the congresses were done in disobedience to an order of the Rivers State High Court issued on the 16th of July 2024 stopping the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as their agents and privies from conducting congresses pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons already filed.
This ruling is coming on the heels of a similar decision last year which also nullified the ward, local government, and state executives of the All Progressive Congress (APC) which had produced Tony Okocha.
This is being interpreted in some quarters as a blow to the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike in his running political battle in Rivers State with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.