A state High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital has nullified the ward, local government areas, and state congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State which produced Tony Okocha as their chairman.
Presiding Judge, Justice Godswill Ogbomanu in his ruling earlier on Friday, nullified the congresses by the party, citing the order of the court restraining the party from going ahead with the congress, and awarded a N10 million fine against the APC.
In his reaction 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.
On his part, however, the defendants’ counsel, William Wobodo, says they will inform their clients of the 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.