In a dramatic turn of events, a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has issued an ex parte order restraining the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from proceeding with its planned ward, Local Government, and state congresses. These congresses were originally scheduled to take place on October 11, 16, and 26, 2024, respectively.
The court’s intervention follows the recent decision by the Rivers State High Court to nullify the removal of the Emeka Beke-led State Executive Committee of the APC and to reinstate it. However, in a defiant move, the APC’s national leadership refused to comply with the court order, insisting instead that it only recognised the Tony Okocha Caretaker Committee in Rivers State.
This latest restraining order came in response to a lawsuit filed by Peter Ohochukwu and Hajia Ndidi-Chukwuma, representing themselves and all elected executive members of the APC in Rivers State. The suit named several high-profile defendants, including the APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, National Secretary Ajibola Bashiru, the APC itself, the Inspector General of Police, the Nigerian Police, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Godwin Ollor, who presided over the matter, ruled in favour of the plaintiffs, issuing an order that prohibits the defendants or their representatives from conducting, supervising, holding, monitoring, or in any other way facilitating an election to constitute a new Rivers State Executive Committee. The judge stated that his decision was based on the merit of the application and an oral argument presented by the plaintiffs’ counsel, Collins Dike.
Furthermore, Justice Ollor issued a specific order restraining the national leadership of the APC from suspending the Beke-led executive committee in Rivers State. The court also prohibited the APC’s national chairman, secretary, and other officials from interfering with the activities of the reinstated Beke-led executive, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction.
The court has scheduled September 9, 2024, for the hearing of the motion on notice, setting the stage for further legal battles over the leadership and organisational structure of the APC in Rivers State. This development adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing internal strife within the party, highlighting the tensions between the national leadership and state chapters over control and direction.
