Reactions have continued to trail the decision of the Federal High Court to ban the All Progressive Congress, APC, from fielding candidates in the 2019 gubernatorial, senatorial, house of representatives and state house of assembly positions.
In a landmark ruling on Monday, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt declared that the Direct and indirect primaries of the Rivers State APC were illegal, null and void.
The court further nullified all nominations of the APC in Rivers State for the forthcoming elections in 2019.
Justice Kolawole Omotosho in his judgment in the suit filed by Senator Magnus Abe and others versus Rivers APC and others declared that the APC for failing to respect the law must bear the consequences of her disobedience of the law, thereby nullifying the primary elections.
The court further declared that both the Direct and indirect primaries were held during the pendency of the suit at the Rivers State High Court.
According to Justice Omotosho, the APC conducted the indirect primaries in gross disrespect of the pending suit before Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the Rivers State High Court.
Justice Omotosho noted that the judgment of Justice Chinwendu Nwogu nullifying the primaries of the APC in Rivers State is yet to be set aside by an appellate court, hence it remains valid.
The court, therefore held that the names sent by the Amaechi faction and the National Working Committee of the APC to INEC for the 2019 General elections were illegal and should be disregarded.
The judge said that the Direct primaries conducted by the Senator Magnus Abe faction were illegal because the National Working Committee of APC did not monitor or participate in the processes.
Justice Omotosho added that Justice Chinwendu Nwogu was clear when he nullified all primaries and congresses held during the pendency of the suit, which included the Direct primaries conducted by the Abe faction.
He said that both Senator Magnus Abe and the Amaechi factions have no leg to stand in view of the judgment, hence both factions are disqualified from participating in the elections.
However, some residents have said that there is a plan by the minister of transport, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi and the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to make sure their ethnic group rules the state in perpetuity.
This, they said, is based on the decision of the minister to impose an unknown candidate on the APC ahead of other political leaders in the party.
Dumeneme Francis told theportcitynews that “It is obvious there is an Ikwerre agenda, that is why the minister jumped ahead of Magnus (Abe) and Dumo Lulu-Briggs who have grassroots followership to pick Tonye Cole who is relatively unknown to the state’s politics. There is an agenda.
Pascal Briggs said “I don’t really think so but there is an element of truth going by the way the minister imposed Cole on the APC. Have you seen Wike campaigning?”
Others who spoke to theportcitynews said that the Ikwerre agenda is not in existence as being bandied on the internet. However, they opined that the minister wants someone he can control.
John Etaghene told theportcitynews that “There is no Ikwerre agenda anywhere. Amaechi just wants to be like Tinubu but he forgot that Rivers State is not Lagos. Rivers State is the political capital of Nigeria.
Beatrice Chimele said “The Ikwerre agenda issue is non-existence. Amaechi just wants to be the godfather.
