Appeal Court adjourns sine die Amaechi’s faction case over party congresses

An Appeal Court panel, led by Justice Isaiah Akeju, has adjourned sine die the appeal by Amaechi’s faction of the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) to set aside the judgment of the state high court on the party’s congresses.

Akeju adjourned sine die in the suit filed by Rotimi Amaechi’s faction of the APC against Ibrahim Umar and 22 others in the state challenging the Rivers State High Court order of May 11 and 30, 2018 which restrained the party from conducting wards, local government and state congresses pending the outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court on same matter.

However, counsel to Umar and 22 others, Henry Bello, applied for an adjournment of the matter pending the Supreme Court judgment on same matter fixed for January 21, this year.

The applicant’s lawyer, Joshua Olatoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), however did not oppose the adjournment.Also, Olatoke, who represented Amaechi’s faction of the state APC, said: “The status quo remains. This matter was adjourned by special panel sine die pending the outcome of the appeal of Ibrahim Umar and others in the Supreme Court.”

Meanwhile, Senator Magnus Abe has approached an appellate court sitting in the state to declare him and his group the rightful candidates of the party for the 2019 general polls.

Abe’s appeal followed the January 7, 2019 judgment by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt that failed to recognise any of the factions’ governorship candidates and others.

Counsel to Abe, Bello, said the Federal High Court recognised his client’s faction of the party as the authentic executive but failed to order Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or APC at the national to recognise Abe and other candidates who emerged through direct primary of the party as the authentic candidates.He said they are approaching the Appeal Court to exercise their rights as the authentic candidates of the party in the state.