Court Declares Imo APC Ward, LG Congresses Null And Void

Court of law

An Owerri based Federal High Court, Imo state, has, on Thursdays, annulled the Ward and Local Government Congresses of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Imo State.

With the claim that APC Ward and Local Government Congresses were never held in the state in the first place, Justice Lewis Allagoa, gave his verdict in his ruling that lasted for two hours.

He directed that the ward congresses be conducted all over again in the state as the constitution of the party stipulates. According to him, “they should go back and conduct fresh Congresses in accordance with the constitutions of the party; they should be responsible and save our democracy.

The Judge also pointed to the claims by The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which is the body mandated by the Electoral Act to supervise primaries and Congresses of political parties in their report attached as exhibit by the Plaintiffs, that ward and Local government congresses were not held in the state.

Justice Allagoa in his ruling dismissed the argument of Counsel to the Defendants that the Plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to challenge the conduct of the Ward Congresses in the state.

Justice Allagoa in also discredited the argument by lawyer to the second and eight defendant, Kelvin Nwufor (SAN) that the Plaintiffs did not get leave of Court to serve the defendants outside the jurisdiction of the Court, stating that the Federal High has one jurisdiction.

According to the Nation, He therefore heeded the Plaintiffs’ requests that the Court announce as null and void outcome alleged to have emanated from APC Ward Congress in the state as the Congress never held across the state.

The Plaintiffs who are APC Ward Chairmen in the Originating Summon in the Suit with Suit No FHC/OW/CS/69/2018 had asked the Court among other reliefs to issue an Order of injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, agents, or privies from announcing or declaring or making reference to non-existing results of the ward congress purportedly claimed to have been released by them as results of the inconclusive ward congress.”