A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has nullified the Local Government and State Congresses organized by the Tony Okocha-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The court ruled that the congresses were conducted in defiance of an existing court order, thereby rendering the process illegal.
Despite the court’s directive, new party executives were inaugurated on December 14 by APC’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje.
The legitimacy of the congresses was challenged in court by aggrieved party members, who claimed they were unlawfully excluded from the process, even after fulfilling the required financial obligations.
Upon reviewing submissions from both parties, Justice Godswill Obomanu declared the congresses invalid.
The court’s decision has thrown the leadership structure of Rivers APC into uncertainty, raising questions about the validity of the newly inaugurated executives.
Details later…