A State High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has issued an order preventing the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from conducting ward and local government congresses in the state.
In a ruling on an ex parte motion, Justice Godwin Ollor, the presiding judge, restrained APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, Secretary Surajudeen Ajibola-Basiru, and the party itself from proceeding with the scheduled ward, local government, and state congresses on October 11th, 16th, and 26th, 2024.
The plaintiffs, Peter Ohochukwu and Hajia Ndidi-Chukwuma, also listed the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigerian Police, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants in the case.
Justice Ollor’s ruling prohibits the defendants and their representatives from conducting, supervising, or in any way facilitating elections to establish a new APC executive committee in Rivers State. Additionally, the judge barred the party’s national leadership from taking any steps to suspend the Emeka Beke-led executive committee currently in place.
The case has been adjourned until September 9th for a hearing on the motion on notice.
This ruling comes just 24 hours after Tony Okocha, the recently ousted APC chairman, asserted that the party would not participate in the upcoming council polls.
