The All Progressives Congress, or APC, claims that since it was not a party to the lawsuit, it is not bound by the ruling of the Rivers High Court that restored the disbanded State Executive Committee headed by Chief Emeke Beke.
This was said in a statement made by the party’s deputy national secretary, Mr. Festus Fuanter, on Thursday in Abuja following the closed-door meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Remember that the Beke-led executive was reinstated and the Tony Okocha-led Caretaker Committee was discharged by the Rivers High Court.
The Deputy National Secretary claimed that Beke had previously been dismissed by a different court, that he had appealed, but that he had choose to misuse the legal system by not waiting for the decision.
“We wish to categorically state and inform the public that the APC is not bound by the judgment delivered by the Rivers High Court in Suit No: PHC 3592 CS. 2023, which reinstated the dissolved State Executive Committee.
“The claimant in the said case sued the national chairman and national secretary, but not the party itself. You cannot sue an agent of a disclosed principal.
“Furthermore, there is a valid and subsisting court judgment against Chief Emeka Beke and Iheanyichukwu Azubuike, former Rivers APC Chairman and Legal Adviser, respectively, wherein they were removed from office,” he explained.
Fuanter went on to say that an entity or individual who was not a party to the lawsuit could not be bound by a court’s decision or order.
He emphasized that the party only acknowledged the Rivers Caretaker Committee, which was formed to manage its business in the state and is led by Tony Okocha.
He said that the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party had been set for September 12 by the NWC, pending President Bola Tinubu, the national leader of the party, giving his consent.
He continued by saying that the party’s Caucus will convene on September 11 in advance of the NEC meeting after the NWC discussed the matter.
