FROM BRIGHT OKHIOMA, PORT HARCOURT
The pro Nyesom Wike faction of the Rivers state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has suffered a set back as a Rivers state high court had at the weekend, annulled the election that brought Tony Okocha to office as state chairman of the party
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The court, presided over by Justice Godswill Ogbomanu annulled the election of new state executives in the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC on the claim that the congresses that produced them were illegal.
The judge made the decision on the claim that the party disregard a court order stopping the congresses of the APC in Rivers State.
The judge emphasized that the APC violated a prior court directive restraining it from conducting ward, local government, and state congresses in Rivers State.
He described the party’s actions as a direct affront to judicial authority and imposed a ₦10 million fine on the APC for contempt of court.
The case was brought before the court by Emenike Ebette, who challenged the legality of the congresses, arguing that they were conducted without adherence to due process. Ebette’s counsel lauded the judgment, stating that it upheld fairness and protected the court’s integrity.
“Justice has been served because the APC blatantly ignored the court’s directive. When a court restrains a party from acting on a subject matter, and they proceed regardless, the court has every right to nullify such actions. This decision reinforces the court’s authority and restores fairness,” the counsel said.
The court ruling invalidates all decisions made during the congresses, effectively stripping Okocha of his position as chairman and Wike, his political godfather of oversight over the affairs of the APC in Rivers State.
In response, the APC’s defence counsel acknowledged the judgment but revealed plans to consult with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to decide on their next steps.