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Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital Thursday nullified the Ward and Local Government Congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State.
The presiding Judge, Justice Lewis Allagoa, in his ruling that lasted for about two hours, held that APC Ward and Local Government Congresses were never held in the state in the first place.
The Judge in his ruling observed that The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which is the body mandated by the Electoral Act to supervise primaries and Congresses of political parties in their report attached as exhibit by the Plaintiffs, affirmed that APC Congresses were not held in the state.
Justice Allagoa in his ruling dismissed the argument of Counsel to the Defendants that the Plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to challenge the conduct of the Ward Congresses in the state.
He ruled that the Plaintiffs having established the fact that they are members of the party and Ward Chairmen have the locus standi to challenge the outcome of the Ward Congresses.
Justice Allagoa in also dismissed the argument by Counsel to the second and eight defendant, Kelvin Nwufor (SAN) that the Plaintiffs did not get leave of Court to serve the defendants outside the jurisdiction of the Court, stating that the Federal High has one jurisdiction.
He therefore granted the Plaintiffs’ prayers that the Court declare as null and void results purported to have emanated from APC Ward Congress in the state as the Congress never held across the state.
Reacting to the judgement, ElombahNews correspondent, Mr. Jones Onwuasoanya said that Osita Izunaso, who was a respondent in the matter, cannot appeal the judgement.
According to him, this is because Izunaso was merely a respondent based on the office he occupied at the time at the office of the National Organizing Secretary.
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He also noted that INEC, which was also joined in the suit, rather than oppose the suit, provided evidence to prove that there were no congresses in the State.
This, He says, is clear that they won’t be appealing the judgement.
Hilary Ekeh was also joined in the matter before he was suspended from the Party as State Chairman. As it stands, he has lost his locus in the case and cannot appeal.
He further stated that the only entity that has the absolute right and whom the judgement and the order directly affects is the NWC of APC.
They are the ones who claimed that they had conducted a congress in Imo State, and they are the ones sued by the plaintiffs.
If they are satisfied with the ruling like they are wont to, then, it is all over.
“If the members of the so-called coalition are still interested in remaining in APC,” he taunted, “then, they should prepare to compete in a free, fair and transparent congresses that will be conducted in the next few weeks.”
