‘Stop Misinterpreting Court of Appeal Ruling on River APC Congresses’

Less than 24 hours after the Appeal Court decision, the camp of the senator representing Rivers South-East in the Senate, Magnus Abe has faulted the camp of transportation minister, Rotimi Amaechi for “misquoting” the Court of Appeal’s ruling over who is qualified to send delegates to tomorrow's national convention of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The acting chairman of the party in Rivers State, Prince Peter Odike, explained that the Appeal Court did not vacate the judgement of the Rivers State High Court, which declared as “null and void” the May 19, 20 and 21 ward, local government and state congresses purportedly organized by the party.

Odike, who was flanked by some party executives, including the state Legal Adviser, noted that the order of May 30 by the State High Court remained alive, and that until it was vacated, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, who he noted parades himself as chairman could not be recognised as such by the party’s national arm.

The acting chairman noted: “As can be seen, all the issues agitated in the Court of Appeal culminating in the ruling now being used to hoodwink members of the public, relate to and concern only the May 11, 2018 order and not the May 30 2018 order. The party itself cancelled the congresses held after that day even before the mandatory order.

“The honourable Court of Appeal after hearing all the parties, refused to stay proceedings of the matter in the lower court and granted the prayer to stay of execution of the order of May 11, 2018. Nothing was said of the of the May 30 mandatory order of injunction as it was not part of the proceedings of the Court of Appeal.