A Rivers State High Court presided by Justice Sika Aprioku, in Port Harcourt has sacked the Caretaker Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state led by Tony Okocha as inaugurated by the National Working Committee of the party.
Some members of the party, Sam Etetegwung, Banarth Ezemoye and others, had filed the suit seeking that Beke’s led leadership of the party in State be reinstated after they were suspended and subsequently removed from office by the national leadership of APC.
However, Justice Aprioku during his ruling yesterday, issued a perpetual injunction restraining Okocha’s led CTC from distracting the Beke’s led APC leadership pending the expiration of their four years tenure.
The court also told the national leadership of APC to recognise Beke’s led executive as authentic leadership of the party till the expiration of their tenure.
Justice Aprioku further slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for supporting the desolution of elected executives of APC through out the suit, cautioning that “leadership of political parties must learn to obey their own constitution and stop acting recklessly and in impunity in managing their own party”.
Aprioku held that the National Working Committee of APC failed to prove reasons for or the actions which they said was in violation to the party and Nigeria Constitution, insisting that they relied on hear say allegation of anti party activities which was not demonstrated by the defendants in the suit.
The judge who dismissed preliminary objections by the defendants on the issue of justification and application for joinder by a set of individuals who had earlier sought to join in the suit further held that the national leadership APC disobey their own constitution by not giving fair hearing to the party executive and thereby award N300, 000 as cost in favour of Beke’s led APC.
Meanwhile, the embattled CTC chairman of APC, Okocha has stated that his leadership will challenge judgement of Justice Aprioku in Apex court, advising his supporters to be calm and remain focus to commitment to party.
Okocha who briefed journalists in Port Harcourt, in reaction to the judgement, said the ruling did not come to them by surprise, insisting that the judgement was influenced.
Okocha who revealed that he has been reappointed by the party to continue manning the affairs of the party in state, stressed that he did not lobby to be in the position but the NWC of the party found him worthy after they discovered that the Beke’s leadership was involved in alleged anti-party.
“We will challenge whatever they have done at the court of appeal. Thereafter they or us will go back to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court will decide. I want to tell members of the APC in Rivers State to remain focused and committed.
“I would like to say that it didn’t sound like a surprise to us that the judge took that voyage to perdition. Don’t forget that in my press briefing in Abuja, I had alleged that Justice Sika Aprioku was contracted for a hatchet job against the APC, so are we not justified about what we said initially?
“It was the NWC looking at the constitution and the judgements of courts that proved that Emeka Beke, Sam Etetegwung and all those that went to court to challenge were actually involved in anti-party activities.
“I didn’t lobby to be chairman of the caretaker committee, none of my members lobbied. I had a job. So the party in their wisdom decided to lay off an EXCO that has been proven to have been anti the party in their activities, that’s how we emerged”.
He added: “It is not a problem, it is court of first instance, this matter may travel to the Supreme Court, so I want to say to you, be calm, don’t be in a hurry, be rest assured that we are equal to the task.
They made attempts at me to bring money and I said no. Look at the law”.
Also reacting to the judgement, the APC chairman, Beke thanked the judiciary for upholding justice in the party’s leadership tussle.
Beke who spoke with journalists, after the judgement at the party’s secretariat in Port Harcourt, said is a victory for democracy and a testament to the party’s commitment to the rule of law.
He emphasised that the party will not be intimidated or deterred from participating in the October 5 local government elections, citing President Bola Tinubu democratic credentials.
Beke expressed confidence that the National Chairman of the APC will respect the court’s judgment and hinted at a stakeholders’ meeting to chart the party’s future course.
He however, called for democracy to be allowed to thrive in Rivers State, condemning the bombing of Action Peoples Party secretariat as “a shame” and “not democracy at all”.
Blessing Ibunge
Follow us on:
IGP Egbetokun has ordered an investigation into Jimoh Abdulquadri’s death in police custody, promising justice…
Donald Trump has rejected suggestions that Elon Musk is the true influence behind the newly…
Tiger Woods' son Charlie has achieved his first golf hole-in-one during the final round of…
New Zealand has rejected the Cook Islands’ proposal for a separate passport, requiring full independence…
Honda and Nissan plan a merger to create the world’s third-largest automaker, aiming to finalise…
Trump has selected ex-bank president Mauricio Claver-Carone as Latin America envoy, despite past misconduct allegations…
View Comments
VEHICLE FOR SALE AT CHEAPER AFFORDABLE PRICE CONTACT THE OFFICER IN CHANGER FOR MORE INFORMATION O8O__6739__9O9O
*BAGS OF RICE FOR SALES IN CHEAPER AND AFFORDABLE PRICE #25,500 DELIVERY PER BAG #5000
**CLOTHES FOR BALE 50kg FOR #35,000, 100kg for #70,000 and 150kg for #120,000
THE REPLACEMENT FORM IS ALSO AVAILABLE NOW IS GOING ON FOR INTERESTED CANDIDATE SHOULD CONTACT or WHATSAPP THE OFFICER INCHARGE (O8O__6739__9O9O)
*SOME AVAILABLE TOKUNBO VEHICLES*
Golf 2,3,4 ₦650,000 - #1million
PEUGEOT 206 #650,000
PEUGEOT 306 #800,000
PEUGEOT 307 #1,000,000
PEUGEOT 406 #1,200,000
PEUGEOT 407 #1,300,000
PEUGEOT 504 #1,500,000
PEUGEOT J5 #1.500,000
TOYOTA CAMRY 2.2 TING-A-LING HT ₦2,000,000
TOYOTA CAMRY BIG-DADDY ₦4,000,000
TOYOTA CAMRY MUSCLE ₦4,000,000
TOYOTA CAMRY SPIDER ₦3,500,000
TOYOTA AVALON ₦3,000,000
TOYOTA AVENSIS ₦2,500,000
TOYOTA COROLLA ₦2,500,000
TOYOTA YARIS ₦1,500,000
TOYOTA MATRIX ₦2,000,000
TOYOTA PICNIC ₦2,000,000
TOYOTA SIENNA ₦4,800,000
TOYOTA VENZA ₦4,000,000
TOYOTA RAV4 ₦4,000,000
TOYOTA 4RUNNER ₦4,500,000
TOYOTA HIANCE -BUS ₦5,500,000
TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ₦6,500,000
TOYOTA LAND CRUISER ₦8,000,000
TOYOTA TUNDRA ₦9,000,000
TOYOTA PRADO ₦9,000,000
MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS ₦3,000,000
MERCEDES-BENZ E-Class ₦3,500,000
MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class ₦4,000,000
MERCEDES-BENZ GLK ₦4,500,000
MERCEDES BENZ ML₦5,000,000
NISSAN ALTIMA ₦6,500,000
NISSAN ARMADA ₦6,500,000
NISSAN MAXIMA N2,000,000
NISSAN MURANO ₦6,000,000
NISSAN PRIMER ₦6,000,000
NISSAN PATHFINDER ₦6,000,000
HONDA ACCORD ₦2,500,000
HONDA CITY ₦2,000,000
HONDA CIVIC ₦2,500,000
HONDA C-RV ₦3,000,000
HONDA CROSS TOUR ₦1,500,000
HONDA ELEMENT ₦2,000,000
HONDA EVILSPIRIT ₦1,500,000
HONDA ODYSSEY ₦1,200,000
HONDA PILOT ₦5,500,000
LEXUS IS300 #2,500,000
LEXUS Ex300 #3,000,000
LEXUS Ex330 #3,500,000
LEXUS Ex350 #4,000,000
LEXUS RX300 #3,000,000
LEXUS Rx330 ₦3,500,00
Lexus Rx350 ₦4,500,000
LEXUS Rx460 ₦5,200,000
LO8O__6739__9O9O