Tony John, Port Harcourt
A Rivers High Court, presided over by Justice Chiwendu Nwogu, has nullified All Progressives Congress (APC) congresses held in the state on May 19, 20 and 21; for disobedience of court order.
Justice Nwogu also ruled that parties should maintain status quo ante before May 11, pending the determination of the originating summons brought before it by some aggrieved APC members in Rivers, over the conduct of the party’s primary.
The members, who were aggrieved following the conduct of the ward congress of the party in the state, on May 5, approached the court for redress.
The court had issued an interlocutory injunction stopping the party from using the outcome of the congress on May 5, to hold the local government congress of the party on May 12, and adjourned till May 29.
The party in the state had on May 12, conducted the congress, stating that it has not received any judicial notice stopping it from going on with the congress. It also claimed that the congress was a process that has long begun.
However, the national leadership of the APC had on May 18, announced the cancellation of the ward and local government congresses conducted in the state on the earlier dates.
Nwogu, in his ruling, said the cancellation of the result of the APC congress held in the state on May 5 and that of May 12 and rescheduling the same congresses for May 19, 20, was to make the matter academic.
Meanwhile, the purported newly-elected Rivers State Chairman of the APC, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, has stated that the APC ward, local and state congresses that took place May 19, 20 and 21 respectively, which saw to his emergence as the chairman, were not a subject of any court action.
Flag-Amachree, in a statement issued by the Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, reacted to a Port Harcourt High Court ruling yesterday, that purportedly annulled congresses held in the state by the APC.