More than twenty-four hours after a court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt passed a conflicting judgment on the lingering leadership crisis rocking the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the faction of the senator representing Rivers South-East in the Senate, Magnus Abe, has faulted the faction of the minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi for “misquoting” the Court of Appeal’s ruling over who is qualified to send delegates to tomorrow’s national convention of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The acting chairman of the party in Rivers State, Prince Peter Odike, explained that the Appeal Court did not vacate the judgement of the Rivers State High Court, which declared as “null and void” the May 19, 20 and 21 ward, local government and state congresses purportedly organized by the party.
Odike, who was flanked by some party executives, including the state legal Adviser of the party , noted that the order of May 30 by the State High Court remains alive, and that until it is vacated, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree who he noted parades himself as chairman cannot be recognized as such by the party’s national arm.
The acting chairman noted: “As can be seen, all the issues agitated in the Court of Appeal culminating in the ruling now being used to hoodwink members of the public, relate to and concern only the May 11, 2018 order and not the May 30 2018 order. The party itself cancelled the congresses held after that day even before the mandatory order.
“The honourable Court of Appeal after hearing all the parties, refused to stay proceedings of the matter in the lower court and granted the prayer to stay of execution of the order of May 11, 2018. Nothing was said of the of the May 30 mandatory order of injunction as it was not part of the proceedings of the Court of Appeal.
“The effect of the above ruling of the Court of Appeal does not touch on or concern, even remotely the High Court order of May 30, 2018 ruling which voided all the congresses of Saturday May 19, Sunday May 20 and Monday May 21, 2018.
“The ruling is still potent and intact. In fact, it was only on June 12, 2018 that the appeal against it was filed and it is yet to be heard by the Court of Appeal.
“It is therefore utterly curious to hear even those who ought to know letter, saying that there was a stay of execution as to admit the Ojukaye-led exco and all other exco who are subject of the May 30 orders to legal reckoning.”
Also speaking, the party’s legal adviser, Barrister Chieme Chinweikpe said that until the Flag-Amachree and other members of the party that claim to be members of the new executive convince the court to vacate the order of May 30, they cannot act or operate on behalf of the party in the state.
He said: because they are yet to appeal the May 30 order, they cannot claim to be the authentic exco. That order on May 30 is still alive.”
