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.
Interestingly, the motion ex-parte was filed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its Governorship Candidate Chief Tonte Ibraye.
The ADC instituted the substantive suit to challenge the legality of the executive orders and their consequences on the electioneering process and political activities in the state.
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.
Meanwhile, The plaintiffs said the orders if given should subsist pending the determination of the motion on notice.
However, 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 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”
