Imo Court nullifies APC ward, LG congresses, order for fresh congresses

Owerri, the Imo State capital was agog on Thursday, especially by supporters of Rochas Okorocha, the Imo State Governor following the orders of a Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital which nullified the Ward and Local Government Congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State chapter.

The presiding Judge, Justice Lewis Allagoa, in his ruling held that APC Ward and Local Government Congresses were never held in the state and therefore ordered the party to conduct fresh Ward congresses that will be in line with the guidelines of the party.

“They should go back and conduct fresh Congresses in accordance with the constitutions of the party; they should be responsible and save our democracy.

The Judge in his ruling observed that The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which is the body mandated by the Electoral Act to supervise primaries and Congresses of political parties in their report attached as exhibit by the Plaintiffs, affirmed that APC Congresses were not held in the state.

Justice Allagoa in his ruling dismissed the argument of Counsel to the Defendants that the Plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to challenge the conduct of the Ward Congresses in the state.

He ruled that the Plaintiffs having established the fact that they are members of the party and Ward Chairmen have the locus standi to challenge the outcome of the Ward Congresses.

Justice Allagoa in also dismissed the argument by Counsel to the second and eight defendant, Kelvin Nwufor (SAN) that the Plaintiffs did not get leave of Court to serve the defendants outside the jurisdiction of the Court, stating that the Federal High has one jurisdiction.

He therefore granted the Plaintiffs’ prayers that the Court declare as null and void results purported to have emanated from APC Ward Congress in the state as the Congress never held across the state.

The Plaintiffs who are APC Ward Chairmen in the Originating Summon in the Suit with Suit No FHC/OW/CS/69/2018 had prayed the Court among other reliefs to issue an Order of injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, agents, or privies from announcing or declaring or making reference to non-existing results of the ward congress purportedly claimed to have been released by them as results of the inconclusive ward congress.”

The defendants in the Suit include the immediate past APC National Organizing Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, the State Chairman of the party, Chief Hilary Eke, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others.