23rd August, 2024
…Bars APC from interfering, suspending Beke-led executive.
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
A Rivers High Court sitting in Port Harcourt presided over by Justice Godwin O. Ollor has granted an order to stop the conduct of any Congress by the All Progressives Congress, APC in the State.
A faction of APC in Rivers being led by Tony Okocha as the Caretaker Committee Chairman had planned to conduct Ward, Local Government and State Congresses on 11th, 16th and 26th October, 2024 respectively to elect substantive executive at all levels.
But while granting the exparte motion, the court restrained the National Leadership of the APC, including the Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Secretary, Surajudeen Ajibola-Basiru from going ahead to conduct those planned congresses.
Other defendants in the suit filed by Emeka Beke led executives of APC in Rivers include all elected executive members of APC in Rivers State, the Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Justice Godwin O. Ollor, in his ruling restrained the defendants either for themselves, their men, officers or agents from conducting, supervising, holding, monitoring or in any other manner conducting election to make up Rivers State Executive Committee of APC.
Justice Ollor insisted that his ruling is based on the merit of the application and submitted oral application by the Plaintiff counsel, Collins Dike.
The order also restrained the National leadership of the party against any plan to suspend the Chief Emeka Beke led executives of the party in the State.
Also, the Court went further to restrain the National Chairman of APC, the Secretary and the APC from doing any thing that will interfere with in the activities of elected executives of APC in the Rivers State under the leadership of Chief Emeka Beke who tenure will elapse in 2025.
The Court said that the order will subsist, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
The trial Judge, Justice Ollor adjourned till 9th Day of September, 2024 for hearing of Motion on Notice.
Our Correspondent recalls that on August 13, a Rivers High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Aprioku Sika sacked the seven-man caretaker committee of the APC in the state led by Tony Okocha, which was inaugurated by the National Working Committee of the party.
Justice Sika Aprioku gave the verdict while ruling on a suit filed by Sam Sam Etetegwung and Banarth Ezemoye and others, on behalf of the elected APC executives at the state and local government levels in Rivers
Justice also reinstated the Chief Emeka Beke-led executive as the authentic executive of the party in Rivers state.
