The group told the court that over 200 persons from the faction who were wrongfully excluded and denied participation from the 2018 party congresses after paying the stipulated amounts for each of the positions they intended to vie for and obtained evidence of payment from the bank, but were deliberately denied participation had not been refunded their monies, and that further Congress will not hold unless the matter is amicably resolved and the aggrieved excluded members allowed to participate in the proposed congress without further payments.
They prayed the court to make an order to stop the planned September 17, 18 and 21 exercises for which delegates from the National Secretariat of Party had already arrived the state for, until the issues raised were addressed by the national officers of APC or the court rules on the matter.
The court granted the order, and placed injunction on the proposed ward, LGA and state congresses/ election was frustrated and put off pending the determination of the suit.
The matter has been on since then. However, the presiding Justice G. O. Ollor on Wednesday struck out the suit holding that the court lacks the power to enforce and interpret the judgment of court of coordinate jurisdiction.
Justice OLLOR also vacated the interim order of injunction obtained by Ibrahim Umar and others was gotten without jurisdiction of the court and thereby set aside the order and thereafter awarded the cost of one hundred thousand naira as cost in favour of APC.
The court equally set aside the interim injunction obtained by the claimants on the 14th September 2019 which stopped the APC from conducting the congresses in Rivers State scheduled for 17th, 18th and 21st of last September.
Speaking to reporters shortly after the session, Henry Bello who appeared for the claimants, (Ibrahim Umar and 22/others), described the judgment as beauty of justice but however said that he will appeal the judgment, unless his clients think otherwise.
On his path, J. C. Williams who represented the main APC faction said it was a landmark judgement and that it has gives the APC the opportunity to go ahead to conduct its Congresses in the State.
Credit: The Nation
