A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from suspending or expelling Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and other state executive members of the PDP in Rivers State over alleged anti-party activities.
In his judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the fears of Wike and other members of the PDP were well founded, and that suspending or expelling them will amount to the breach of their rights to freedom of association, Channels TV reports.
The judge, therefore, stated it is in the power of the court to grant redress to persons who have well established acts that would amount to the infringement of their rights, adding that political parties cannot suspend arbitrarily without compliance with the political party’s guidelines.
Wike, and four other PDP governors known as the G5, had openly campaigned against PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the February 25 poll. The dissenting PDP governors include Nysom Wike of Rivers State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, under the G5 group.
Politics watchers say this conflict of opinions by the G5 may have been spurred by a threat by the main body of the PDP to expel the dissenters from the party should they back a candidate other than Atiku Abubakar, the party’s choice.
Such an expulsion would render members of the group devoid of a party canopy under which to operate and scuttle their personal political ambitions.
Seyi Makinde, the governorship candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 poll in Oyo State won his re-election bid and was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Makinde who is the incumbent governor, defeated his challengers including Labour Party (LP)’s Akinwale Tayo, as well as a serving Senator, Teslim Folarin of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Before Saturday, Makinde was the last of the PDP G5 or Integrity Group with an election in view. Already, Governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Samuel Ortom (Benue), who have been in office for eight years each, all lost their senatorial bids, while Nyesom Wike (Rivers) who is also completing his second term as governor didn’t run for any elective post.
With the defeat of three of his comrades, all eyes were on Makinde before the March 18 poll. However, with his declaration as the winner by INEC, Makinde survived the defeat suffered by other G5 members.
