The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state has urged its members to disregard the so-called misinterpretation of Wednesday’s Court of Appeal’s ruling which disqualified Tonye Cole from running for the office of the governor.
The party also said those who misrepresented the ruling are enemies of the party.
Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a chieftain of the party who gave the advice in a statement issued and made available to theportcitynews in Port Harcourt on Thursday, noted that the “celebration of a partial court’s ruling, which had no categorical pronouncement or judgement, was an exhibition of ignorance or an attempt at confusing and misleading ignorant followers who have no idea of judicial processes.
“Those celebrating the ruling, knowing well that it was not the full judgement, which had been suspended till after an expected Supreme Court decision, are doing so to achieve some dubious ends.
“Celebration of a partial ruling of the High Court without given judgement on the substantive issue before the Court by Wike and Abe and their misguided followers shows that their days as students of the law are wasted years or a ploy to give false hope to their followers.
“These people know very well that the ruling of the Appeal Court has nothing to do with what they are causing their followers to celebrate; it was a ruling dismissing suits, which made no categorical pronouncement on the status of our candidates, they know the judgement is suspended until after the Supreme Court gives its decision on another pending matter, which had been adjourned till March next year.
“So if they are aware of all these and still went ahead to give their ignorant followers a fool’s hope, then they are only out to achieve some dubious ends. To us, they are out to achieve two things; one, to keep their people in a state of delirium until the truth catch up with them and they have a reason to cry foul and cause chaos. Number two, they hope to cause panic in Rivers APC and dampen the spirit of our loyal and devoted members.
“However, we will encourage all true members of the APC in the state to ignore the fool’s day joke which the trio of Governor Wike, Senator Abe and their party, the PDP, are delighting themselves with. It is all a silly joke, which has no reality in law and justice.
“These two gentlemen failed to appreciate that despite these seeming setbacks, it is important to state that, the Apc still has three subsisting appeals before the court of appeal namely: CA/PH/267/2018, CA/196/ 2018 and another, challenging representation by counsel and the jurisdiction of the court to entertain. These appeals are all still alive and are pending before the court of Appeal, Port Harcourt division and have not been determined”,
Eze said the Supreme Court had heard some aspects of the interlocutory appeal pending before it and had adjourned for judgement on 8/3/19, saying “so with all these pending cases that are still subsisting and not determined, what is it that warranted the wild and ignorant celebration by Wike and Abe at the Rivers state Government House by yesterday?
He that Senator Abe’s action need not further interpretation which is to ensure that Governor Wike of PDP continue his misuse of the funds of Rivers State by ensuring that Rivers State APC doesn’t field candidates for the 2019 general elections.
In this regard, he suggested to the APC Reconciliation Committee for the South-South zone headed by immediate the past Governor of Osun State, Mr. Raul Aregbesola to take note of Abe’s true mission and recommend appropriate punishment to the National Working Committee of the party accordingly.
He finally appealed to the APC leadership and faithful to go about their campaigns diligently & prayerfully in order to ensure that Wike and his chain of jesters are chased out of the Government House come March 2019 as “they have by this unwarranted celebration proven that they are afraid of the APC presenting candidates for the 2019 general elections”
