A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted an ex parte order restraining the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, led by Abdullahi Umar-Ganduje and the Secretary Surajudeen Ajibola-Basiru, from proceeding with the planned Rivers State Ward, Local Government and State Congresses scheduled for October 11, 16, and 26, 2024
The lawsuit, filed by Peter Ohochukwu and Haija Ndidi-Chukwuma on behalf of themselves and all elected executive members of the APC in the state, named the APC, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, the Nigeria Police, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as defendants.
Justice Godwin O. Ollor, in his ruling on the ex parte motion on Thursday, also restrained the defendants, their representatives, officers, or agents from conducting, supervising, holding, monitoring, or otherwise organizing any elections for the Rivers State executive committee.
Justice Ollor emphasized that his ruling was based on the merits of the application and the oral arguments presented by the plaintiffs’ counsel, Collins Dike.
The court also barred the national leadership of the APC from attempting to suspend the state executives led by Emeka Beke.
The judge further restrained the APC’s national chairman, secretary and the party itself from interfering with the activities of the elected APC executives in the state, led by Beke, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction.
Charmingpro reports that Justice Ollor adjourned the case to September 9, 2024, for the hearing of the motion on notice.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, counsel for the claimants, Collins Dike said, “After the very erudite judgement of My Lord Honorable S. H. Aprioku, the national office wrote a letter in which they disclosed their plans to hold an elective congress specifically for Rivers State