·We'll challenge judgement, says Okocha
A Rivers State High Court presided over by Justice Sika Aprioku, in Port Harcourt, has sacked the Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state led by Tony Okocha as inaugurated by the National Working Committee of the party.
Some members of the party, Sam Etetegwung, Banarth Ezemoye and others, had filed the suit seeking that Chief Emeka Beke's leadership of the party be reinstated after they were suspended and subsequently removed from office by the national leadership of APC.
However, Justice Aprioku during his ruling, yesterday, issued a perpetual injunction restraining Okocha's led CTC from distracting the Beke's APC leadership pending the expiration of their four years tenure.
The court also told the national leadership of APC to recognise Beke's executive as authentic leadership of the party till the expiration of their tenure.
Justice Aprioku further slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for supporting the dissolution of elected executives of APC through out the suit.
He therefore, cautioned that "leadership of political parties must learn to obey their own constitution and stop acting recklessly and in impunity in managing their own party."
Aprioku held that the National Working Committee of APC failed to prove reasons for the actions, which they said was in violation to the party and Nigeria Constitution, insisting that they relied on hear say allegation of anti-party activities which was not demonstrated by the defendants in the suit.
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The judge, who dismissed preliminary objections by the defendants on the issue of justification and application for joinder by a set of individuals who had earlier sought to join in the suit further held that the national leadership of APC disobeyed their own constitution by not giving fair hearing to the party executive and thereby awarded N300,000 as cost in favour of Beke's APC.
Meanwhile, Okocha has stated that his leadership would challenge judgement of Justice Aprioku in Apex court, advising his supporters to be calm and remain focus to commitment to party.
Okocha who briefed journalists in Port Harcourt, in reaction to the judgement, saying the ruling did not come to them by surprise, because it was influenced.
Okocha, who revealed that he has been reappointed by the party to continue manning the affairs of the party in state, stressed that he did not lobby to be in the position but the NWC of the party found him worthy after they discovered that the Beke leadership was involved in alleged anti-party.
In his reaction, too, Beke thanked the judiciary for upholding justice in the party's leadership tussle.
Beke, who spoke with journalists, after the judgement at the party's secretariat in Port Harcourt, said it was a victory for democracy and a testament to the party's commitment to the rule of law.
He emphasised that the party would not be intimidated or deterred from participating in the October 5 local government elections, citing President Bola Tinubu's democratic credentials.
