Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from suspending or expelling Rivers State governor-elect, Siminlalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, over alleged anti-party activities.
Fubara, Odu and 48 members of the party had asked the court to stop the party and its executives from taking punitive actions against them.
They asked the court to declare that the threat to suspend or expel them on account of the disagreement between the party’s national executives and Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, was tantamount to denying them of their rights. The presiding judge, Inyang Ekwo, yesterday, ruled that the fears of the applicants were well founded and that taking action against them would amount to a breach of their rights to freedom of association.
The judge said it was within the powers of the court to grant redress to persons who have evidence of acts that would amount to the infringement of their rights.
Ekwo also ruled that members of political parties cannot be arbitrarily suspended without compliance with the political party’s guidelines.