Opposition hails court ruling removing Wike’s loyalist as Rivers PDP chair

The spokesperson for the Opposition Coalition, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has hailed the Rivers High Court judgement sacking a loyalist of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as the state’s Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement on Monday, Ugochinyere declared that the Rivers High Court judgement, which removed the illegal pro-Wike Aaron Chukwuemeka as the state chairman of the PDP, has ended an era of audacious political impunity.

The lawyer-turned-lawmaker, while describing the court verdict as a victory for democracy, said it has finally nailed anti-party and anti-people treacherous politics, not just in Rivers State but across the entire country.

The Rivers High Court, presided over by Justice Stephen Jumbo, on Monday, ruled on an interlocutory injunction sought by Edwin Woko and three others, restraining Chukwuemeka and his state executives from parading themselves as executive members of the PDP in the state.

Woko and three others, all PDP members, challenged the congresses that produced Chukwuemeka’s executive committee, arguing that the congresses violated an existing court order, rendering them illegal.

Reacting to the judgement, Ugochinyere said the judiciary has once again proven its mettle as the last hope of the common man and the safeguard of Nigerian democracy.

“I wholeheartedly welcome the judgement of the Rivers State High Court, which removed the illegal pro-Wike Aaron Chukwuemeka as the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as it ends an era of audacious political impunity; anti-party and anti-people treacherous politics,” he said.

“We all remember that after the expiration of the tenure of Rivers’ substantive PDP executives in August 2024, the national leadership of our party gave them a three-month extension.

“But to the consternation of all, former Governor Nyesom Wike and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory criminally altered the list and imposed Aaron Chukwuemeka as the acting chairman, contrary to the party’s directive.

“However, their evil plan fell like a pack of cards following the judgement of the Rivers State High Court, which squashed that charade, and now we have an interim exco in place led by the Chairman, Dr. Robinson Ewor, and the Secretary, Dr. Field Nkor.

“The bold steps taken by the Ewor-led party executives with their declaration that, ‘we have taken over our party from members of the APC, which Nyesom Wike and his criminal gang handed over the party to, we have taken over.

“Today, the party is in the hands of PDP members, not APC members. What this judgment means to us is that the party is being restored to the original owners.

“The party is restored to the leader of the party, the Governor of the state, Fubara,’ is a clear indication that the evil machinations of the APC apologist have been dismantled.”