The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State says the decision of a three-man of the Court of Appeal presided over by Justice Peter Ige, JCA, has vindicated the position of the party. Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, Spokesman of the APC said in a statement in Port Harcourt that the Court of Appeal has finally laid the matters to rest. He said it was obvious that the lower courts which entertained the cases brought before them by Hon. Igo Aguma and his co-travellers erred in law in reaching conclusions which forged the background for the pronouncements that they made.
The APC noted, “It is clear to all who believe in the rule of law that there were clear evidences of the miscarriage of justice in those rulings. The foundation upon which the builders erected their house of confusion has collapsed. “We knew that Igo Aguma and his co-travellers did not come to equity with clean hands. We salute the learned Judges for their courage in dispensing justice without fear or favour. “Recall that Justice George Omereji was the one used to frustrate the APC by hoisting a meddlesome interloper upon us. For his effort in ensuring the destabilization of our great Party, he has been rewarded with the Chairmanship of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission under whose watch the, APC is expected to participate in the local government elections billed for April.”
The statement disclosed that the APC under the leadership of Isaac Abot Ogbobula will address issues arising from the decisions of the Court of Appeal. Describing the comments attributed to one Livingstone Wechie who claims to be the Media Aide to a discredited claimant to office as “the rantings of a drowning man”, the APC said it was not surprised by the rascality displayed by “enemies of truth and justice who have sworn to destabilize the party.” “Our attention has been drawn to a Press Statement issued by one Livingstone Wechie who claims to be a Media Adviser to an unnamed Acting Chairman of the State Caretaker Committee of the APC in Rivers State. “in it, the said Livingstone Wechie claimed that the Justices of the Appeal Court led by Justice Peter Ige erred in law when they decided to ignore what he described as the position of the Supreme Court.
We have seen what Livingstone wrote. It is indeed not worth the paper on which it has been written. “This same Livingstone prided himself as the leader of the so-called Integrity Group which was used by Governor Wike in fruitless bid to stop the clearance of the Minister of Transportation by the Senate. We are not surprised that he crossed over to the APC on a mission of destabilization. “Today, the Justices of the Court of Appeal restored the integrity of the law and the faith of all who believe in the rule of law. “We join millions of Rivers people and other Nigerians who have been disturbed by attempts by fair weather party urchins to strangulate the future of the APC in congratulating their Lordships. Their Lordships were courageous and upright in reaching the decisions that they made. “The APC is gladdened by the decisions of the Court of Appeal which primarily set aside the earlier ruling of lower courts that upheld the appointment of Igo Aguma as the Acting Caretaker Committee Chairman of our great Party, and the purported suspension of Chief Victor Giadom who as at the time of the pendancy of the matter, was the acting National Chairman of the APC.
“This victory belongs to the teeming members of our great Party who have remained unshaken, resolute, focused and determined inspite of efforts by some political pirates to tear apart the sacred bonds of their common unity. “We equally laud the leadership of our great Party ably guided by the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi for their commitment to the welfare of the party and the cause of justice.” “Now that the position of the National Secretariat and the party has been upheld by a superior Court, we urge all those who have been in the trenches to lay down their arms and allow the return of peace. Isaac Ogbobula is the Chairman of the State Caretaker Committee. Nothing can change that perception which is irked the hearts of rational thinking men.”
