From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
An Abia State High Court, sitting in Ukwa Judicial Division has given an interim order restraining the APC, its National Chairman, state chairman of the party and secretary, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Seven-man Ward Congress Committee to Abia as defendants, from receiving, accepting and/or acting on the purported list of successful candidates for the party’s Ward Congress in Abia from the Ward Congress Committee pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The interim injunction was given by Hon. Justice Chibuzo Ahuchaogu following the motion brought before the court in Suit No:HUK/31M/2021 by Davies Jumbo and John Nnah.
Jumbo had sued for himself and representing all the successful ward chairmanship candidates of the APC, Abia State Chapter in the 184 electoral wards of the state while Nnah also sued for himself as representing all the successful Local Government and state delegates of the APC, Abia State Chapter.
The judge after going through the counsel’s written address and after hearing L.D Orji for the applicants, gave the order restraining all the listed defendants by themselves, agents, servants and privies from conducting the Local Government and State Congresses in Abia pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The court equally granted an interim order restraining the 1st and 2nd Respondents from dissolving or tampering with the dully constituted party structure of the APC from the Ward to state levels led by the 10th Respondent pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Addressing journalists later, the Abia state Chairman of the APC, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa urged all the members and loyal supporters of the party to remain calm as there was no course for alarm.
Nwankpa said that Abia APC has no faction, stressing that disagreement is part of politics and democracy, but should not be mistaken as a faction.
Recall that the committee sent to Abia to conduct the APC Ward Congresses was declared wanted by Nwankpa on Saturday when the committee failed to show up at the party’s secretariat at No: 38 Azikiwe Road, Umuahia
He criticised the activities of the seven-man committee, describing their actions as one aimed at creating a wrong notion about the situation of the party in the state.
“Abia APC is intact. The rebellious act of one person cannot be tagged faction. Whenever there are primaries, someone will just rise to cause problems.
“We’ve got information that the National Chairman, the Attorney General and even the president that they’re dropping his name is not involved in this.
“We’re not bothered about the names they’re dropping, but what we want is to sit down and build our party. No matter what you do, you can never make the bat a bird.
“We’re not worried about whoever will win our primaries, but what we want is for the due process to be followed. APC is intact and we did our Ward Congresses according to the laid down procedure. The committee sent by the National should work with the state leadership”.
Nwankpa reiterated that the APC secretariat in Abuja is not involved in what happened in Abia on Saturday, noting that there was a conspiracy between the committee and some people whose aims are to deceive unsuspecting people.
Justice will be done.