Spokesman of the Tonye Cole/Innocent Barikor 2023 Gubernatorial Campaign Council in Rivers State, Sogbeye Eli has called for calm from members of the party following a court judgment which nullified all the primaries conducted by the party in the state.
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Tuesday nullified all the primary elections conducted by the All-Progressive Congress in Rivers State over unlawful exclusion of some members as delegates.
One George Orlu and four others had approached the court requesting that the primaries of APC in state be nullified following their alleged exclusion as delegates.
Justice Emmanuel Obile in his judgment agreed with the aggrieved APC members that they were wrongly excluded in the election of delegates to participate in the party primaries.
Justice Obile ruled that all those elected from the primary stand nullified and should not be recognized as candidates in next year’s elections.
Reacting to the ruling, Eli said, “We are fully aware of, and appreciate, the intensity of apprehension this judgment has caused our party members given the experience of 2019 and appeal that we all remain calm and keep faith with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, the judicial processes and the party. Party members are further assured that our party immediately began the process of appeal and are confident that the appellate courts would do justice to our case in accordance with the law and judicial precedents by overturning today’s judgment and consequently restore our candidates on the ballot”.
