Rivers State chapter of the APC, has expressed satisfaction that the Port Harcourt court judgment of Monday did not declare Senator Magnus Abe as the governorship candidate of the party, said it would challenge the judgment barring it from presenting any candidates in 2019 general election.
A statement signed by Chris Finebone of the Media and Publicity Department of the party said: “Firstly, we totally agree with the court that Senator Magnus Abe and the 48 other members of the party who claimed to have emerged through an alleged direct primary election, were not and therefore could not be declared candidates of the APC in the 2019 general election in Rivers State. This was because the national body of the APC never authorised or conducted the alleged direct primary as required by its constitution and guidelines neither did INEC monitor same.
“However, we do not agree with the court that the Davies Ibiamu Ikanya and Peter Odike-led Executive Committee of the party in Rivers State was still subsisting. The APC has the powers to dissolve its Executive Committee and that power was exercised on 21st of May, 2018. The APC having dissolved that Exco, it ceased to exist and could not be resurrected, even if the court finds, albeit wrongly, that there was no valid congress to replace the dissolved Exco.”
On the suit brought by the PDP, Finebone said the issue of nomination of candidates of a political party remains the exclusive right and preserve of that political party, and any dispute arising thereto also remains within that political party and its aggrieved members.
“It is on this note that we strongly believe that APC will get victory in the superior court. We have accordingly instructed our lawyers to review the case and file the appeals immediately, in order not to temper or jeopardise with the already existing legal rights of our candidates before INEC,” he said.
The Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation also said they would appeal the judgments, insisting they hoped the superior courts would favour them.
A statement issued by the spokesman of the organisation, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke, said: “Our position, after consultations with our lawyers, is that we shall challenge the order in an appellate court. Although we were not favoured by the decision, our faith in the country’s judicial system remains unshaken.”
A statement signed by Chris Finebone of the Media and Publicity Department of the party said: “Firstly, we totally agree with the court that Senator Magnus Abe and the 48 other members of the party who claimed to have emerged through an alleged direct primary election, were not and therefore could not be declared candidates of the APC in the 2019 general election in Rivers State. This was because the national body of the APC never authorised or conducted the alleged direct primary as required by its constitution and guidelines neither did INEC monitor same.
“However, we do not agree with the court that the Davies Ibiamu Ikanya and Peter Odike-led Executive Committee of the party in Rivers State was still subsisting. The APC has the powers to dissolve its Executive Committee and that power was exercised on 21st of May, 2018. The APC having dissolved that Exco, it ceased to exist and could not be resurrected, even if the court finds, albeit wrongly, that there was no valid congress to replace the dissolved Exco.”
On the suit brought by the PDP, Finebone said the issue of nomination of candidates of a political party remains the exclusive right and preserve of that political party, and any dispute arising thereto also remains within that political party and its aggrieved members.
“It is on this note that we strongly believe that APC will get victory in the superior court. We have accordingly instructed our lawyers to review the case and file the appeals immediately, in order not to temper or jeopardise with the already existing legal rights of our candidates before INEC,” he said.
The Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation also said they would appeal the judgments, insisting they hoped the superior courts would favour them.
A statement issued by the spokesman of the organisation, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke, said: “Our position, after consultations with our lawyers, is that we shall challenge the order in an appellate court. Although we were not favoured by the decision, our faith in the country’s judicial system remains unshaken.”
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