The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has summoned Governor Nyesom Wike, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to appear before it and explain why it should not grant a motion ex-parte seeking suspensions of the Saturday’s elections and Executive Orders 21 and 22.
The motion ex-parte was filed by the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and its Governorship Candidate Chief Tonte Ibraye.
In the ex-parte motion, the applicants also asked the court to give an order restraining the State Government from enforcing its Executive Orders 21 and 22 enacted in 2022.
The plaintiffs said the orders if given should subsist pending the determination of the motion on notice.
Though the suit was initially filed in Abuja, it was returned to the Port Harcourt judicial division of the court.
The presiding Judge, Justice A.T. Mohammed, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, said upon reading the 13-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Solomon Shoyemi and after hearing from the applicant’s lawyer, H.V. Chukure asked the applicants to put the respondents on notice to appear on March 8.
He said: “The applicant shall put the respondents on notice to appear on the 8th March, 2023 at 1pm and show cause why the application should not be granted”.
The ADC instituted the substantive suit to challenge the legality of the executive orders and their attendant consequences on the electioneering process and political atmosphere in the state.
The suit dated February 21, claimed that the implementation of the orders “created a total case of disorder, political crisis and wanton breach of peace in the polity atmosphere of Rivers State”.
“This has hampered the ability of the first plaintiff (Ibraye) and members of the second plaintiff (ADC) as well as other political parties except the third defendant (PDP) from assembling freely to carry out political activities such as campaigning, holding rallies, processions and meetings within the state.
“There is a reason to believe that a serious breach of peace is likely to break out in Rivers if the fourth defendant proceeds with its plans to conduct the forthcoming gubernatorial elections scheduled to hold on March 11 in Rivers”, they said.
According to the plaintiffs in the interests of justice and fairness, INEC should be restrained from conducting the election pending the determination of the substantive suit.
G5 Governors: Wike Warns PDP That Window For Reconciliation With Atiku Will Soon Close
Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, has said the G5 Governors would soon shut the door of reconciliation with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The governor stated this on Friday, January 13, 2023, during an interview with BBC Pidgin.
Wike reiterated that their choice of presidential candidate would soon be made known to the public, adding that they were not in a hurry to make a decision on whom to support.
Wike said: “Some people are counting January 4th, 16th. They should calm down. We are all politicians; we have political strategies. I don’t work as an individual. That’s what people don’t understand.
“There are different strategies in going to war. What you see today is not what you see tomorrow. Oh I laugh at them (PDP) when they say we are in touch with so, so governor.”
He clarified that telling the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, that he is a presidential material doesn’t mean that he (Wike) has endorsed Obi.
“If I tell Obi that he is a presidential material, does that mean an endorsement?” Wike queried.
Meanwhile, the governor has urged construction companies handling various projects for the state government to maximise the dry season to achieve commendable feat.
Wike stated this while flagging off the construction of Abua-Emoh-Iyak-Ighom-Elok and Emoh-Egbolom Access Road that held at Okpeden Town Junction in Abua/Odual local council on Friday, January 13, 2023.
He said the project and the earlier one he flagged off recently in the same area were important not only to the Abua/Odual people, but also to the state government, stressing that his administration would not entertain any excuse of delay in completing the project.
The governor noted that the same contractor, Lubrik Construction Company, was luckily handling the road projects. He enthused that Lubrik had already been told to be more serious in giving maximum attention required to the two roads to complete them on schedule.
According to him, more money would be released to the construction company on Monday next week to motivate them to speed up the work.
“I don’t want the contractor to say today is gone, no. You must use the hours you have and continue to work as we flag off the project. So, don’t say today is gone, there is nothing that is gone.
“Every time must be utilised because we are now in dry season. Rivers is a place you don’t know when the rains will start. So, now we have sun, let us utilise it,” he said.
Wike explained that just as his administration was stamping its feet to deliver the two road projects in the area, the Abua/Odual people should be politically vigilant.
Such vigilance, he pointed out, means to guard their votes and deliver them for candidates of the PDP contesting for governorship, National Assembly, and State House of Assembly elections in Rivers State.
“We also expect that you will also reciprocate what we are doing for you. We have built schools, which every other person may have done. But these roads are very important to us. And I believe that by the time you vote for us in the governorship, the House of Assembly, the Senate, and the House of Representatives elections, obviously, my successor will have no choice but to link you up with bridges over rivers that separate some of your communities so that all of you will be together,” he added.
Source: The Nation
