Okorocha gets ‘second chance’ as Court nullifies APC congresses

Ward, local governments, and state congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held in Imo State have been nullified by a Federal High Court in Owerri.

Justice Lewis Allagoa, who nullified the congresses, ordered the party to hold fresh congresses, while also admonishing the party to try and be “responsible, save our democracy by conducting free and fair congresses in Imo State.”

This was the result of Thursday’s judgment in a suit instituted by the faction of the party loyal to Governor Rochas Okorocha, which was not pleased with the result of the congresses in the state.

Okorocha had also expressed dissatisfaction with the congresses, as he seemed to have been outwitted by his deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, and other party faithfuls in the state, whose loyalists were said to have been elected into executive positions of the party in the state.

With the court order, Okorocha now has a second chance to take control of the party structure in the state.

A motion filed by the defendants arguing over the right of the court to preside over the matter, was sacked by Justice Allagoa, who insisted that his court had jurisdiction to hear the matter.

According to the judge, the exhibits tendered by the plaintiffs suggesting that there was no ward congress in the state on May 5, “was factual.”

Justice Allagoa also held that the recorded “press interview between the state commissioner of police, the state governor, Rochas Okorocha and Senator Osita Izunaso that there was no APC ward congress in Imo State on May 5 “was justiciable in law.”

Also citing a report of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which confirmed that there was no APC ward congress in Imo State on May 5, he said, “APC should go and be responsible and save our democracy. The defendants and the plaintiffs are members of the same political party, APC. There is no victor, no vanquished.”

READ ALSO: How Ndigbo reacted to Buhari’ promise of Igbo presidency in 2023

Imo State APC stakeholder led by Prince Madumere, had claimed victory in the congress held in the state in May.

But the plaintiffs, who are loyal to Okorocha’s faction of the party, had asked the court to among other things, give a “declaration that the ward congress of the APC in Imo State which was fixed for May 5 was inconclusive and did not hold, since there was no result there from.”

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now