The Amaechi faction of Rivers APC suffered a huge setback this afternoon when a special panel set up by the President of Court of Appeal refused to vacate the Order of Mandatory Injunction issued by the High Court of Rivers State on the 30th of May, 2018, nullifying APC congresses conducted in Rivers State on the 19, 20 and 21 of May, 2018 which purportedly threw up Ojukaye Flag Amachree as State Chairman. The congresses were conducted in blatant disobedience to a valid court order and the Court of Appeal frowned at that.
The Ojukaye faction had filed appeal against the Order of Mandatory Injunction on the 12th of June, 2018, but due to Court vacation, the Appeal Court couldn’t slate the appeal for hearing.
A special panel set up by the President of the Court of Appeal however sat to hear the appeal today.
Among the prayers of the Amaechi faction was that the court of appeal should stay further proceedings on the matter in the trial court. The faction also prayed the court to stay further execution of the Order of Mandatory Injunction nullifying the congresses of 19, 20 and 21 of May, 2018.
The court of appeal refused to grant all the prayers and instead adjourned the matter to the 15th of October, 2018.
The implication of this development is that the Order of Mandatory Injunction nullifying the congresses of 19,20 and 21 of May, 2018, remains in force and valid. That means that the APC cannot validly conduct any indirect primaries in Rivers State based on any delegate list drawn from the nullified congresses.
Finally, it means that there is no impediment on the trial court to continue with hearing and giving judgement on the merit of the case before it.
It will be recalled that the Amaechi faction has suffered three different setbacks at the Court of Appeal trying to vacate the orders of the High Court which constitute real legal impediment against the Ojukaye faction of the party.
