September 03, (THEWILL) – The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the nationwide local council congresses billed for tomorrow (Saturday) will hold, while vowing “to severely sanction members and their sponsors who take the party to court.”
THEWILL reported that an order by an Asaba High Court presided over by Justice Marshal Umukoro, on Wednesday restrained the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) from administering the party pending the determination of a suit brought before it and slated for October 4.
However, Buni ignored the court order and inaugurated the Osita Okechukwu-led local council congress committee at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Buni, represented by the CECPC Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, charged officials to conduct the congresses in line with the official schedule of activities released by the party. The chairman urged committee members to go to their various states of primary assignment with confidence, dignity, commitment, and pride.
Osita Okechukwu, the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), who spoke on behalf of the LG Congress committees, promised to conduct the exercise in line with the party’s constitution and the founding fathers’ vision.
The APC chief reminded those who dragged the party to court of the National Executive Committee (NEC) resolution to severely sanction members and their sponsors who indulge in the act.
He said, “Governor Buni is determined to carry out to the letter the instructions of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, which is to rebuild the party, bottom up. The process has reached an advanced ground stage. Rest assured that your assignment, as well as the earlier Ward congresses nationwide, is legally protected. We are on solid ground.”
The APC chief disclosed the decision to ratify and adopt the results of the party’s earlier nationwide Ward congresses held on July 31, warning that any state caretaker committee that swears in any person or group of persons not elected through a congress conducted by the designated national congress committee of the party is null, void and of no effect.
Buni, in a statement released by his media aide, the Director General, Press and Media Affairs, Malam Mamman Mohammed, argues that the restriction of the conduct of congresses was only limited to Delta and does not affect other states.
In the statement, titled “The Facts in the Delta State Court Ruling on APC,” Buni blamed mischief-makers who do not wish the party well for the misrepresentation of facts on the court ruling.
The statement read: “Mr Elvis Ayomanor and seven others, on August 19, instituted a case against APC and its leadership in Asaba, challenging the outcome of the party’s ward congress of July 31.
“The seven applicants prayed the court to among other things issue and service the originating summons on 15 defendants including the party, the Chairman Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and members, as well as the chairman of the party in the state.
“The applicants also sought the court to issue interim injunction to restrain the CECPC chairman and members from acting or parading themselves as leaders of the party pending the determination of the case against the outcome of the ward congress in Delta before the court, while further praying for interim injunction restraining the party from conducting the local government and state government congresses slated for September 4.
“The court, in its wisdom, ruled that having looked at the motion ex-parte granted the prayers sought in reliefs 1, 2, 3 and 4 that have to do with issues of service of processes on all parties in the suit. Prayer 5 was granted only in relation to the 15th defendant (Jones Ode Erue, Chairman APC, Delta State).
“From the above, it is apparently clear that the court ruling only affected the15th defendant (Delta Chairman of APC) and not the National Chairman, Governor Buni.”
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