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Appeal court upholds judgment barring Rivers APC from polls

By Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt
02 March 2019   |   2:27 am
The Court of Appeal Court, Port Harcourt Division, has upheld the Federal High Court judgment, maintaining that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State does not have candidates for next Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections.

The Court of Appeal Court, Port Harcourt Division, has upheld the Federal High Court judgment, maintaining that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State does not have candidates for next Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections.

In a unanimous judgment, the three-man appeal panel, led by Justice Ibrahim Gummel, struck out two appeals filed by the state APC, challenging the judgment of Justice Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court.

According to the Judge, the appeal was merely an exercise in futility and lacked merit, as the Supreme Court had earlier decided on the issue, upholding the decision of the trial court on three different judgments.

Addressing newsmen outside of court, yesterday, Counsel to the APC, Tonye Cole and others, Chinemem Jerome, said they would approach the Supreme Court to further challenge the decision of the appellate court.

But Counsel to Senator Magnus Abe and others, Tuduru Edeh, argued that the only option for APC was to await the Supreme Court ruling on whether or not the direct primary candidate should be field for the elections. 

The appeal court also adjourned the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the APC to March 6, this year.Justice Omotosho had earlier in the year nullified both direct and indirect primaries in the state and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delist all candidates of APC for failure to follow electoral guidelines.

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