The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has fixed May 31 for judgment in a suit filed by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers, praying for an order restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from suspending or expelling him from the party.

Justice James Omotosho fixed the date on Monday after the counsel to Mr Wike, Joshua Musa, and the lawyer to the PDP, Johnson Usman, adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the suit.

Mr Wike had sued the PDP, its National Working Committee and National Executive Committee as first to third respondents, respectively.

The governor, in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023, also joined PDP national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, the national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission as fourth to sixth respondents, respectively.

Mr Wike is praying for an order directing all parties to maintain the status quo and stay all actions relating to the threat to suspend or expel him by the first to fifth respondents, pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.

Mr Omotosho had, on February 2, given an interim order against the party and others listed in the face of Mr Wike’s motion dated and filed on the same day.

The judge, who extended the restraining order on February 14, held that all parties should maintain a status quo pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

Upon the resumed hearing on Monday, Mr Musa informed the court that the matter was adjourned for hearing, and he was ready to proceed.

He said the fundamental right of his client to freedom of association was being breached due to the threat by the respondents to suspend and subsequently expel him from the party, hence, the need to approach the court.

But responding, Mr Usman, who appeared for PDP and others, disagreed with Mr Musa’s submission.

He argued that the case was only based on speculation as Mr Wike had failed to provide evidence to substantiate that the respondents intended to suspend or expel him from the party, stressing that the party had not contemplated suspending or expelling the G5 governors or the Integrity Group members.

“We have said that there is no threat to suspend the applicant, and the onus is on him to prove this,” he said.

(NAN)