Maduako Igbokwe l Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – Crisis rocking Anambra state All Progressives Congress APC gets messier as the State High Court sitting in Awka on Wednesday voided the party congresses held last month.
Seventeen former chairmen of Anambra state APC led by one Lawrence Emegini had gone to court seeking a declaration that their tenures as local government chairmen of the party still subsist.
In suit no: 2022 A/3/2022 , the former Caretaker Chairmen and Ward Representatives challenged the validity of the party’s congress in January when their tenure had not ended.
In a judgment delivered on Wednesday by Justice Ike Ogu of state High Court four Awka, he ruled that the APC congresses contravened the initial Interlocutory Injunction given by his court.
According to justice Ogu the suit filed by one Lawrence Emegini and others against APC succeeded. The court ruled that the tenure of wards, local government areas and states executives elected during 2018 congresses in Anambra state have not expired .
According to him, whatever congress conducted by APC and it’s representatives in the state contravened the order of the court and cannot stand . The factional secretary of APC loyal to the applicants in the state Mr Chukwuma Agufugo, described the judgment as victory for rule of law.
Agufugo said that some people had wanted to disorganise the party by trying to hijack it’s leadership through the back, but thanked God that court has liberated the party.
Chief P.I. Ikwueto(SAN) counsel to the plaintiffs said that his clients have been vindicated by the decision of the court. Mr Chikwunoso Chinwuba, the legal Adviser of the factional APC dissolved by the judgment said they would study the judgment and know the next line of action to take.
“We will file notice of appeal and stay of execution, The judge erred in law and it will be set aside at the appeal”, he said.
