A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt yesterday restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) for the 2019 general elections in Rivers State.
The court also granted a mandatory order on INEC to remove APC candidates from the ballot papers and other electoral materials for the 2019 general elections in the state.
This is as the national leadership of the APC has acknowledged the receipt of the judgement but -stated that it is studying it and will make its position known in due course.
APC’s national publicity secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a said: “We have received the news of the judgement of the Federal High Court regarding our candidates in Rivers State. We are currently studying the decision of the court. We will make our position public in due course.”
While delivering judgement on two separate suits filed by Senator Magnus Ngei Abe and others as well as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Justice Kolawole Omotosho, nullified all nominations of the APC in Rivers State for the forthcoming elections in 2019.
Omotosho declared that the APC cannot participate in the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly elections during the 2019 polls in the state.
He stated that the direct and indirect primaries of the Rivers State APC are illegal, null and void, pointing that both the direct and indirect primaries were held during the pendency of the suit at the Rivers State High Court.
Reacting to the two judgement, counsel to Senator Abe, Mr Henry Bello, said that the court emphasised obedience to its orders, saying that the nullification is the consequence of the imposition of candidates.
Bello stated that Abe, who was one of the APC governorship aspirants, and others will appeal the judgment.
Also speaking, counsel to APC, Emenike Ebete ,said that the APC will challenge the two judgments, adding that the APC will also file papers for stay of execution of the judgments.
Ebete expressed dissatisfaction that the court barred Rivers APC candidates from parading themselves as nominees for the elections.
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Reacting to the two judgements, the leadership of APC in the state, said the trial court missed the mark in some of its decisions, adding that with the judgements, Abe and other are convinced that they were not candidates of the party.
The publicity secretary of APC in the state, Chris Finebone, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday, said the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party never authorised or conducted direct primaries in the state.
He said: “We have just received excerpts of the judgements delivered by Hon. Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt in two separate suits. One was filed by Senator Magnus Abe and 48 others seeking the court to declare them candidates of the APC in 2019 general election in Rivers State, and another filed by the PDP seeking the court to declare that the APC has no candidates for the election.
“We strongly feel that the trial court missed the mark in some of its decisions. First, we totally agree with the court that Senator Magnus Abe and the 48 other members of the party who claimed to have emerged through an alleged direct primary election, were not and therefore could not be declared candidates of the APC in the 2019 general election in Rivers State.
In his own reaction, governorship candidate of APC in the state, Pastor Tonye Cole, said that he and other candidates of the party were not giving up despite the judgement of the Federal High Court.
Cole Campaign Organisation (TCCO) said the party will challenge the two judgements in the Court of Appeal.
The statement reads in part: “Today, Monday 7th January, 2019 the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt delivered a ruling in respect of the matter brought before it by Senator Magnus Abe and 43 others.
In its own reaction, the leadership of PDP in the state, described the two judgements as a victory for the rule of law and the people of Rivers State, adding that the judgements will douse tension and promote peace in the state.
A statement also issued in Port Harcourt yesterday by the Director, Information and Communications, PDP Campaign Council, Hon. Emma Okah, said APC’s past involvement in elections in the state has been characterised by recurring violence, rigging and breakdown of law and order.
The statement reads in part: “The Rivers State PDP Campaign Council says the court judgments restraining the INEC from recognising any candidate for the APC in the 2019 general elections in Rivers State is a victory for the rule of law and the people of Rivers State.”
