A Rivers State High Court presided over by Justice Godswill Obomanu has nullified the state and LGA congresses held by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
The court also awarded compensation of N10 million to the defendants (APC and Abdulahi Ganduje), the national president of the party.
Justice Obomanu said the recent LG and state congresses of the party were in complete disrespect of the court order and judicial processes.
Recall that some members of the party (Okwu Joebrown Dike & Otrs) had filed a suit in court alleging illegal exclusion from the congresses and Judge Obomanu had on November 21, 2024 ordered the APC to suspend the congresses until the suit was determined. .
In his opinion, Judge Obomanu said that Okocha's team, having knowledge of the processing of the court orders issued on November 21, 2024 and delivered to the parties on November 22, 2024, should have stopped the congresses.
He had issued an ex parte order to stop the holding of congresses in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
The order was obtained on November 19, 2024 to disqualify the NWC of the APC which had concluded arrangements for the congresses which commenced on November 16, 2024 with the district congresses.
An ex parte order is usually made in matters that are considered so urgent that they cannot wait for the attention of the other party, and usually applies until further hearings can be held. It's a restraining order.
Now, some APC members who said they bought forms to challenge the congresses but were denied the forms have approached the high court. They are Okwu Jiebrown Ndike, Peace Oganu and Samuel Uchegbule representing others in suit ca No. PHC/3859/CS/2024.
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A different high court in Port Harcourt had dismissed the Okocha-led APC caretaker committee, recognizing Emeka Beke's elected executive committee.
The Court also ordered that APC congresses led by Okocha not be held. Thus, the court had stayed the August 16, 2024 marching order of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to the Caretaker Committee (CTC) of the party in the state to hold district, council and state congresses.
The court order was an expert that prevented the national leadership of the APC, headed by the president, Ganduje, and the secretary, Surajudeen Ajibola-Basiru, from going ahead with the holding of the congresses scheduled for October 11, 16 and 26. of 2024.
Other defendants in the suits filed by Peter Ohochukwu and Hajia Ndidi-Chukwuma for themselves and all elected executive members of APC in the state include APC as a party, the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Judge Godwin O. Ollor, in his ruling on the ex parte motion, also enjoined the defendants, whether for themselves, their men, officers or agents, from performing, supervising, holding, monitoring or otherwise carrying out elections to form Rivers. APC State Executive Committee in Rivers State.
However, the party's NWC gave the green light to the Okocha-led Caretaker Committee to continue with the congresses and last Saturday proceeded to inaugurate the executives, Chief Tony Okocha, as the state chairman.