Fresh crisis is about to engulf Imo State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, as the Federal High Court in Owerri, on Thursday dismantled the existing structure by declaring that no congress was conducted in the State during the exercise held in May this year.
A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri which is handling the matter in a ruling declared that no congress was held necessitating it to call for fresh congresses.
The congresses in Imo which started on May 2018 had broken the party in the State into two factions thereby leading to the creation of Allied Forces and Rescue Mission camps.
Following the conduct of the congress which didn’t go down well with the Okorocha Rescue Mission faction, his agents went to court to seek redress.
The presiding Judge, Justice Lewis Allagoa in his ruling nullified Wards, Local Government Areas and State congresses of the Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress in a judgment that lasted for one hour.
The Judge, who dismissed a motion filed by the defendants, insisted that his court had jurisdiction to hear the matter.
He said that the exhibits tendered by the plaintiffs suggesting that there was no ward congress in the State on May 5, was concrete.
According to him, press interview between the state commissioner of police, the state governor, Rochas Okorocha and senator Osita Izunaso, that there was no APC ward congress in Imo State on May 5, was an evidence to rely on.
The Judge also cited a report of the Independent National Electoral Commission, which confirmed that there was no APC Ward congress in Imo State on May 5.
The judge said “APC should go and be responsible and save our democracy. The defendants and the plaintiffs are members of the same political party, APC .There is no victor, no vanquished. ”
The plaintiffs who are a faction of the party loyal to the State Governor had approached the court seeking among other things, a “declaration that the ward congress of the APC in Imo State which was fixed for May 5, was inconclusive and did not hold, since there was no result therefore.
A declaration that since the ward congress was not concluded and the result declared, the defendants cannot organize, conduct or hold LGA congress or any other congress flowing from it as it is only the delegates that will participate in the other congresses.
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.”
Meanwhile, dependable sources close to the counsel to the defendants revealed that they have gone to Appeal Court to challenge the ruling. Our correspondent noticed that one of the lawyers of the defendant has started processing papers for an appeal.
Meanwhile, there is wide jubilation in the camp of the governor who after having their man elected as National Organizing Secretary, again had their quest for nullification of the congresses in the State granted.
