The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has granted a stay of execution on the exparte order of a Rivers State high court sitting in Portharcourt which stopped the scheduled local government congress of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.
The three-man panel led by Justice Datti Yahaya in the appeal filed by the APC against the matter instituted by one Stephen Wonnah and six others frowned at the order of the Rivers State high court against the process of a political party which they said have the backing of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
One of the lawyers of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Jerome Chimene who confirmed the development in an interview said the stay of execution order “paves the way for the ACP to hold its local government congress scheduled for Saturday 4th of September, 2021”.
Jerome said the three-man panel after granting the stay of the execution of orders by Justice Ben Whyte of Rivers State high court “adjourned the substantive appeal to the 20th of September, 2021”.
You may recall that Justice Ben Whyte of Rivers State high court had after the ward congress of APC on the 31st of July, 2021, restrained Rivers APC from going ahead with its local government and state congresses and asked parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the hearing of the main matter which follows complaints by some aggrieved members of the party that they were denied access to nomination forms.
The order of the lower court was, however, appealed by the APC and its caretaker committee chairman in Rivers state, Isaac Abbot-Ogbobula.
