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Tony John, Port Harcourt
A state High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, yesterday, gave the All Progressives Congress (APC) the go ahead to conduct ward, local government and state congresses in Rivers State.
The court also struck out the originating summon brought by one Ibrahim Umar and 22 others against the APC.
It set aside the interim injunction obtained by the claimants on September 14, 2019, which stopped the APC from conducting the congresses in Rivers scheduled for last September 17, 18 and 21.
Delivering the judgment, the trial judge, Justice G. O. Ollor, ruled that the court lacked the power to enforce and interpret the judgment of court of coordinate jurisdiction.
Ollor also held that the interim order of injunction obtained by Umar and others, was gotten without jurisdiction of the court and thereby set aside the order and thereafter awarded N100,000, as cost in favour of APC.
Speaking to newsmen outside the court, counsel for the claimants, Henry Bello, though described the judgment as beauty of justice, he said he would appeal the judgment based on the instruction of his clients.
On his path, one of the APC counsel, J. C. Williams, described the judgment as landmark.
He said the verdict has given the APC an opportunity to go ahead to conduct its congresses in the state.
Umar and 22 others, including two dead persons, had upon the announcement by the Rivers APC on new dates for congresses, approached the court to enforce and interpret the judgment of the High Court, Appeal and Supreme courts against APC over the congresses of 2018.
