By Miracle Ogunde
The recently held congresses of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Rivers state, which produced new Excos have been nullified by the court.
The court cited its earlier order restraining the party from going ahead with the congress.
Justice Godswill Ogbomanu of a Rivers state High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the state state, delivered the judgement on Friday.
The judge, also awarded a N10 million fine against the APC.
The Congress which was held across all wards, local government areas, and state oecel in Rivers State produced Tony Okocha as their chairman.
Reacting to the judgement, counsel to the claimants, Emenike Ebette hailed the ruling of the Court, describing it as Justice to the claimants.
“Justice had been done because they actually stole a march against the claimants. When a matter is before the court, the subject matter is there and the courts say don’t do it and you go ahead in a brazen manner, as the court so found it,” he said.
“The court has the power under its disciplinary jurisdiction to set aside such acts. You know, the court granted a stay of proceedings, but it had to restore its dignity and integrity. What the court has done this evening is in line with the law,” Ebette added.
However, the defendants’ counsel, William Wobodo, stated that they will inform their clients of the Natuinal Working Commuittee, NWC of the court ruling before deciding on the next line of action.
“The good thing is that before today, there was already an appeal duly entered at the Court of Appeal with a suit number CA/PH/523/2024 wherein the defendants are challenging the jurisdiction of the court to decide on the internal affairs of the APC,” Wobodo.
“The Supreme Court has said, even in the case of Aguma versus Dele Moses, which arose from APC River state and went all the way to the Supreme Court, where the Supreme Court said the internal affairs of the APC or a political party is solely the affairs of a political party,” he said.
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