Okenyi Kenechi
The factional chairman of Rivers State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, Prince Peter Odike, has hailed the judgement of the Supreme Court which nullified the May Congresses of the party.
Odike, in a statement he personally signed and made available to theportcitynews said the legacy of the judgement has strengthened the faith of citizens in the judiciary.
He called on the national leadership of the party to respect the ruling and recognize the direct primaries conducted by his faction as a way of moving the party forward, urging party faithful across the 23 local governments to come together and form formidable front as 2019 general elections approach.
Read the statement bellow..
“I, Prince Peter Odike, JP, State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Rivers State Chapter, do hereby, on behalf of the State Working Committee, leaders and members of the party in Rivers State, express my appreciation to the Supreme Court of Nigeria and indeed to the entire judiciary system of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the landmark ruling of the apex court of our land in upholding the ruling of the Rivers State High Court which voided the purported congresses conducted by a section of our party and on which basis party primaries for elective offices were purportedly conducted on the so-called indirect primaries basis.
“This legacy judgement has indeed strengthened the faith of the citizens of this country in the judiciary and has also upheld the rule of law as a basic foundation for democracy which our party, the All Progressives Congress, stands for.
“Let me at this point inform our members that no court order or judgement voided the State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress of Rivers State led by me in my capacity then as State Deputy Chairman of the party.
“On the contrary, a court of competent jurisdiction had ordered that the status quo ante before the conduct of the purported congresses be maintained and which in the absence of the then State Chairman, Chief. Davies Ikanya, legally recognized me and members of the State Working Committee functioning under me as the legal State Working Committee of the party. This is also in complete consonance with the guidelines of our party which states that in the event that congresses do not hold for any acceptable reasons the status quo before such congresses should be maintained.
“I am now calling on the National leadership of our great party to respect this ruling and immediately recognize all party activities including the Direct Primaries conducted by the State Working Committee under my leadership in moving the party in Rivers State forward.
“It is on this note I urge our party members in all the 23 Local Government Areas of the State to come together, remain united, focused and resolute in our determination to present a common and formidable front as we approach the 2019 general elections”
