…As Supreme Court Nullifies Congresses
…Ojukaye Risks Contempt Of Court – Lawyer
The Supreme Court has nullified the congresses conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
The Apex Court last week set aside the ruling of the court of Appeal staying further execution of the order of interlocutory injunction restraining the All Progressives Congress from conducting further congresses in Rivers State.
It said allowing APC to retain the outcome of the ward, local government and the State congresses conducted, would amount to a reward for disobedience.
The Appeal Court’s decision which was taken in June suppressed the Order of Justice Chinwendu Nworgu against conduct of the ward, local government and State congresses of the APC in Rivers which did not go down well with the applicants.
With the nullification of the congresses, the executives of the party at the wards, local government and state ceases to exist.
The verdict was particularly damning on the Ojukaye Flag Amachree led exco whose activates and past actions had been rendered null and void.
One of the fallouts of the Supreme Court ruling, lawyers said is that the primaries conducted by the party to pick its flag bearers had become a nullity.
Ojukaye Flag Amachree led APC past actions rendered null and void by the Supreme Court verdict include, the House of Assembly primary, House of Representatives primary, Senatorial primary and the governorship primary which it conducted. Again the implication is that the party has no candidates for these positions in the forth-coming general elections. It stands to reason that the names submitted by the party to INEC as its candidates for these positions could be withdrawn.
Senator Magnus Abe who emerged as governorship candidate in a parallel primaries, has hailed the Supreme Court ruling, saying Ojukaye Flag-Amachree led Exco was a product of illegality which cannot stand.
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court did not make definite pronouncement asking that Abe’s name should be forwarded to INEC as the authentic APC guber candidate, but even if they did, it would have been overtaken by events as the INEC has stopped receiving nominations.
But Ojukaye Flag Amachree has come out to say that the Supreme Court ruling did not affect his exco, saying what the Supreme Court did was to set aside the stay of execution by the Appeal Court on an interlocutory injunction which was given by justice Nworgu, stressing that he had a perpetual injunction from an Abuja High Court which had not beem vacated by a higher court.
He called on Rivers APC members to remain steadfast and not to be swayed by what he described as rumour.
But a senior Lawyer who this reporter contacted, but who pleaded anonymity said Amachree could fall into contempt of court if he continues to disregard court orders and rulings, more so verdicts from the Supreme Court, the highest Court of competent jurisdiction in the land.
“Court-orders, summons, injunctions, rulings/judgements from courts of competent jurisdiction should be obeyed no matter who they apply, that is the only way to avoid anarchy, especially in political matters”, he told National Network.
