A Rivers State High Court has voided the appointment of a seven-member caretaker committee for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, led by Tony Okocha.
News About Nigeria reports that the court ruled that the committee’s appointment by the APC’s National Working Committee was unlawful.
The court reinstated the democratically elected APC executive in Rivers State, led by Emeka Beke, as the legitimate leadership of the party.
This decision was made in response to a suit filed by members of the elected executive.
The court issued a permanent injunction against the Okocha-led committee, preventing them from interfering with the Beke-led executive until their four-year term ends.
The court also ordered the APC’s national leadership to recognise the Beke-led executive as the authentic leadership of the party.
The court criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for supporting the dissolution of democratically elected APC executives.
It stressed that political party leaders must adhere to their own constitutions and avoid reckless actions.
The court said it found that the APC National Working Committee’s actions were unjustified and violated both the party’s and Nigeria’s constitutions.
As a result, the court awarded costs of N300,000 in favour of the Beke-led executive.
The judge dismissed objections raised by the defendants regarding justification and joinder by additional parties.
The court ruled that the appointment of the Okocha-led caretaker committee was null and void, with no legal standing.
