Court Stops PDP from Dissolving Rivers State Executive Committee

The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order against the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), preventing them from dissolving the Rivers State chapter of the State Executive Committee (SEC).

TrackNews Media reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo, who presided over the case, declared the merit of the plaintiff’s claim.

Mr. Desmond Akawo, the chairman of the Rivers’ PDP, brought forth the lawsuit naming the party and Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, the former national chairman, as the 1st and 2nd defendants, respectively. Members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) were also included in the suit.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was brought into the matter as the 3rd defendant. This legal action was initiated through an amended originating summons filed on March 9 by Mr. Akawo’s counsel, Dr. Joshua Musa, SAN.

Akawo sought the court’s interpretation of whether, in accordance with Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 47(1) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), he and his fellow committee members were entitled to complete their term. It should be noted that they were elected and sworn in during the state’s congress held on March 21, 2020, and their four-year term is slated to end around May 22, 2024.

In his affidavit, personally sworn by Akawo, he stated that the PDP and its national chairman had, on January 4, prior to the general election, threatened to unilaterally dissolve the Rivers’ SEC and replace it with an Interim Caretaker Committee. He said no member of the state committee, including himself, had received any prior queries from the party leadership.

As a result, Mr. Akawo requested an injunction to prohibit the party and the national chairman from dissolving, suspending, or curtailing the tenure of the Rivers’ SEC, the LGA executive committees, and the ward executive committees until their four-year term concludes on May 22, 2024, among other legal reliefs.