A Rivers State high court sitting in Port Harcourt on Friday nullified the congresses of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
The congress, which produced Chief Tony Okocha as the state chairman, was nullified following a contempt of court proceeding filed by the camp of the reinstated chairman of the party in the state, Chief Emeka Beke.
The court had earlier issued an order stopping the conduct of the congresses in the state, but the APC defied the order of the court and went ahead to hold the exercise.
The aggrieved members of the party, who had secured the order, had returned to court, notifying it that the party had conducted the congresses despite the valid court order.
Justice Godswill Obomanu, after listening to the presentations and submissions of the counsel, nullified the congresses of the party on Friday.
Justice Obomanu expressed dismay at the party for going ahead with the congresses after a court had ordered that status quo be maintained in the matter.
He held that what the APC in the state did was trying to steal a match from the claimants.
The court stayed further proceedings in the matter and adjourned indefinitely.
However, in a swift reaction, Chibuike Ikenga, the Publicity Secretary of the Okocha-led APC, said the judgment was expected, saying Justice Obomanu was a kinsman of the state governor, Siminakayi Fubara.
Accusing Justice Obomanu of doing a hatchet job for the governor, Ikenga said, “It was expected, putting into consideration that Justice Obomanu hails from the same place as the governor of Rivers State.
“There are some collaborators of the APC in Rivers State who have aligned with Governor Fubara to see that this party is suffocated. But this is not the final court. This is the court of first instance.
“Unfortunately, the Rivers State High Court under Justice Obomanu is sitting on appeal in a case that is already being addressed by the Court of Appeal.
“So, there is no problem, we are law abiding citizens with obedience to the rule of law. We are already putting our papers together to head to the appeal court to challenge and test it.”
