APC rejects court ruling on Rivers case

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday rejected a court ruling that reinstated the dissolved Chief Emeke Beke-led Executive Committee in Rivers State.

The Deputy National Secretary of the party, Mr. Festus Fuanter, disclosed this to journalists after a closed-door meeting of the NWC in Abuja.

Justice Sika Aprioku of the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt, on Monday dismissed the Tony Okocha-led Interim Committee and reinstated Beke as APC chairman in the state.

He also cancelled the dissolution of the committee headed by Beke and fired Okocha and the members of his management committee.

Fuanter accused Beke, who was previously dismissed by another court, of abusing the court process.

He said: “We wish to state categorically and inform the public that the APC is not bound by the judgment rendered by the Rivers High Court in Suit No: PHC 3592 CS. 2023, which reinstated the dissolved State Executive Committee.

“The plaintiffs in the case sued the national chairman and the national secretary, but not the party itself. You can’t sue an agent of a disclosed principal.

“In addition, there is a valid and extant court ruling against Chiefs Emeka Beke and Iheanyichukwu Azubuike, former Chairman of Rivers APC, and Legal Counsel, respectively, whereby they were removed from office.

The APC leader stressed that a court ruling or order is not binding on any person or organization that is not a party to the lawsuit.

He added: “In view of this, the party only recognises the Tony Okocha-led Rivers Caretaker Committee which was set up to oversee its affairs in the state.”

He said the party’s NWC has scheduled a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for September 12, subject to the approval of President Bola Tinubu.

APC rejects court ruling on Rivers branch first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.