From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has described the recent High Court judgment reinstating dissolved Rivers State APC Executive Committee as a total abuse of court process.
Addressing newsmen after several hours meeting at the party’s national headquarters, Abuja on Thursday, Deputy National Secretary, Festus Fuanter, said that the national leadership still recognised the Tony Okocha-led Caretaker Committee as chairman of Rivers State APC chapter.
The claimant in Suit No: PHC 3592 CS. 2023 had sued the National Chairman, Abdulahi Umar Ganduje and Secretary, Ajibola Basiru but not the party itself.
Reacting formally to the court judgment, the NWC insisted that it is not binding on APC as it was not joined as a party in the suit, emphasising that there is a valid and subsisting Court Judgment against Chief Emeka Beke & Iheanyichukwu Azubuike (former Rivers State APC.
Among other issues discussed at the meeting, according to the NWC, is that the party’s leadership has fixed Caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings for next month, September 11 and 12 respectively.
The NWC equally denied any knowledge of the plans by President Bola Tinubu, and the leaders of the party to remove the National Chairman, Ganduje and redeploy him as an ambassador.
“You would recall that there was a court judgment of recent that had reinstated the Emeka Beke executive council at the detriment of the Caretaker Committee set up by the NWC. It will interest you to know that before the judgment, there was a judgement that had sacked the Emeka Beke executive committee, which gave rise to the establishment of the caretaker committee to which they had appealed.
“The matter is still pending before the court of appeal. He could not wait for his own appeal at the appellate level and went up to institute another case to which he was able to secure a judgment. As far as the NWC is concerned, this is a total abuse of court process. And we are still waiting for his appeal at the appellate level on his sack.
“And subsequent upon that fact, we as an NWC deliberated on the matter and are reinstating the fact that we are still recognising his appeal in the first matter. We are still recognising Tony Okocha’s Caretaker Committee. And until his appeal is listened to, we, of course, had also appealed judgment that he secured. And it is elementary law that first in time matters,” the NWC clarified.
On the letter about its proposed NEC meeting, the party’s leadership confirmed that the meetings will be held on September 11 and 12, adding: “You are correct about the issue of our NEC meeting. It is all over the social media. So in today’s meeting, we agreed that the 11th and 12th would be for our caucus and our NEC meetings subject to the approval of the President.
“Essentially, we have agreed on a date for the NEC meeting which will be preceded by the Caucus meeting.”
Denying the reports on position of its National Chairman and proposed ambassadorrial position, the leadership noted: “As to whether the national chairman will be given an ambassadorial appointment, I am not aware of that. And we wait to see.”