A Federal High Court Abuja in Abuja has restrained the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from dissolving the Rivers’ State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party.
This followed the reliefs for restraining order sought by Chief Desmond Akawo, the Rivers State Chairman of the PDP in March against threats by the National Chairman ,Dr Iyiorcha Ayu on Jan 4 to unilaterally dissolve the Rivers State chapter and replace it with an Interim committee without any query.
Akawo had argued that members of the State Executive Council SEC, the Local Government Executive Committees and Ward ESCOs were elected and sworn- in in accordance with the state’s congress held on March 21,2020 and were entitled to complete their four – year term which expires on May 2024.
Delivering the judgement on Wednesday,Justice Inyang Ekwo, said that the case of the plaintiff, Mr Desmond Akawo, was based on merit.
The judge further restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC from according recognition or accepting any name as caretaker committee of the PDP in the state except those democratically elected and represented by Akawo in the suit.
In the suit, party Ayu and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC)) were presented as 1st and 2nd defendants.
The plaintiff also joined the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 3rd defendant in the amended originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/112/2023 and filed on March 9 by his counsel, Dr Joshua Musa, SAN.
