Rivers’ APC raises fresh alarm

…Says expelled members set to procure court order to stop petition

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has raised a fresh alarm, fearing that a court injunction may be procured today, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, to scuttle the party’s petitions at the election tribunal.

The alert was contained in a statement issued early morning Wednesday alleging that a ‘diabolic’ plot has been set in motion to obtain a court injunction today that would destroy the party’s petitions.

The statement issued by Darlington Nwauju, the state publicity secretary, drew the attention of the public especially the judiciary, to an alleged plot to arm-twist the judiciary in the state, an action the party said may end up making the judiciary look like a democratic caricature and subjecting it to public opprobrium.

The statement read: “We have been reliably informed that some suspended members of the APC who were paid (by another party) to ensure the APC is sufficiently distracted from pursuing her cases at the Election Petitions Tribunal have concluded plans to drag the judiciary in Rivers State into the political arena by procuring an Exparte Order today (Wednesday 12th April 2023) against the third congressionally elected chairman of APC and other members of the State Working Committee of the APC in Rivers State.

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“This is contrary to our party’s Constitution and natural justice as non-members of our party cannot suspend, expel or stop any officer of our party from functioning.”

The party said it views this move as the height of rascality, and that the judiciary cannot afford to allow imposters to legalise illegality by coming through the window of the Rivers State High Court to hijack their political party.
“Such illegality cannot stand the scrutiny of any judicial officer worth his salt and we make haste to advise that judicial officers help protect democracy by living above board. For purposes of public enlightenment, let us remark that even card carrying and financially up-to-date members of the party cannot sue the party to court without first exhausting the party’s internal conflict resolution mechanism. Failure to pay heed to this all important paragraph of our Constitution amounts to an anti-party activity.”

The spokesman went further to reveal names of “two high court judges that have been boastfully mentioned by those bragging about what they are about to execute in the said destructive agenda, hence this public outcry to draw the attention of these noble judges to the attempts by selfish politicians to drag their names into the mud.

“The APC in Rivers State does not believe that the judiciary will allow itself to be used by desperate and selfish politicians who are working sleeplessly to jeopardise democracy in Rivers State.”

He advised the courts in Rivers State not to operate like super market and thus throw their jurisprudential credentials to the dogs!

The spokesman reminded Nigerians that all their alerts so far in these elections have always proved exactly real, showing that their sources are genuine.