Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has begun another round of litigation against membership registration and revalidation exercise.
This is as an Okrika High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Monday adjourned for hearing, all pending applications and motions in case brought by one Sunday Hokkins and four others against the All Progressives Congress APC, its National Caretaker Committee Chairman and CTC Chairman in Rivers state.
The Plaintiffs had approached the court, challenging the right of a Caretaker Committee to conduct membership Registration and revalidation exercise.
The plaintiffs through their counsel, Henry Bello also filed a motion requesting an order of the court to restrain the APC from conducting the rescheduled membership Registration and revalidation exercise.
Tuduru Edeh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Counsel to 2nd Defendants APC, informed the court of their objection to the services and other motions, which made the Presiding Judge, Justice Abina Ngbor to order parties to file their responses and advised all the parties to conduct themselves properly on the matter.
Justice Ngbor adjourned the case to 22nd January, for hearing of all pending motions
In an interview with our correspondent, Tuduru Edeh SAN, said they are challenging the services of the Plaintiffs as they are towing in a line that is devoid of truth, adding that the court did not make any order for injunction.
“The court directed that all applications should be put together for the court to take all the matters at once. We told the court that as far as we are concerned, the services were not properly done, and we are challenging it.
“We have filed relevant processes, the court directed that all parties should file whatever processes and applications and ensure we conduct ourselves properly. The court can always advise parties to respect processes in court and it is our duty to do so, but no order of injunction was made, which is what the Claimants are clamouring for”
On his part, Plaintiffs Counsel Henry Bello, said they are in court to challenge the fact that in the absence of elected Ward Executives of APC in Rivers State, registration of new members can not be done.
“It is the duty of the Ward Executives to carry out registration of new members and we do not have Ward Executives. We call to say let there be Ward Executives first before registration exercise.
“The court has asked parties to maintain status quo, APC wrote a petition against the Judge, which is most unfortunate and unfounded petition. The matter came up for the first before this court on 8th December, 2020, today is the second sitting in the matter.
” We sought court injunction against APC, the court refused it, rather than commend the Judge, they are writing petition against the court saying the Judge is bais”
