By Nwafor Okafor
Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka on Wednesday nullified the congresses of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
It declared ward, local government and state congresses held in the state null and void.
The party’s state congress held recently in the state had produced Chief Basil Ejidike, loyal to Senator Andy Uba, as the state chairman.
Uba and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, had been in supremacy battle over who would control the APC in the state.
Justice Ike Ogu of High Court 4 Awka, while delivering judgement on the matter on Wednesday, ruled that the purported congresses that produced Ejidike and co contravened earlier Interlocutory injunction issued by his court.
Ogu, whose judgment on the suit filed by one Lawrence Emegini and others, ruled that the plaintiff’s case succeeded.
The court stated that the tenure of ward, local government and state executives elected during the 2018 congresses in the stated subsisted.
He noted that whatever congress conducted by APC and its representatives in the state while the tenure of the 2018 elected executives was running contravened the order of the court.
He stated that Emeka Ibe-led executives of 2018 should be allowed to complete their tenure which was illegally terminated.
Commenting on the judgement, Chukwuma Agufugo, secretary of APC in the faction loyal to Ngige described the judgment as victory for the rule of law.
Agufugo said some people had wanted to disorganise the party by trying to hijack its leadership through the back door, but thank God the court had liberated the party.
Chief P.I. Ikwueto(SAN) counsel for the plaintiff said his clients had been vinedicted by the decision of the court.
Mr Chinoso Chinwuba, the legal Adviser of the faction sacked by the court, said “We will file notice of appeal and stay of execution. The judge erred in law and it would be set aside at the appeal”.
