Amaechi, Abe lose out as Court nullifies direct, indirect primaries of Rivers APC

*Stops INEC from accepting any Rivers APC A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Monday restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising any candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2019 general elections in Rivers State. The court, presided over by Justice Kolawole Omotosho, also nullified all nominations of the APC in Rivers State for the forthcoming elections in 2019. The court ruled specifically that the APC could not participate in the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly elections during the 2019 polls in Rivers State. Justice Omotosho, in his judgment in the suit filed by Senator Magnus Abe and others versus Rivers APC and others, declared that the APC for failing to respect the law, must bear the consequences of her disobedience of the law. The High Court judge stated that the direct and indirect primaries of the Rivers State APC were illegal, null, and void. The court further declared that both the direct and indirect primaries were held during the pendency of the suit at the Rivers State High Court. According to the court, the APC conducted the indirect primaries in gross disrespect of the pending suit before Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the Rivers State High Court. He noted that the judgment of Justice Chinwendu Nwogu nullifying the primaries of the APC in Rivers State was yet to be set aside by an appellate court, hence it remained valid. The court, therefore, held that the names sent by the Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi faction and the National Working Committee of the APC to INEC for the 2019 General elections were illegal and should be disregarded. He posited that the direct primaries conducted by the Senator Magnus Abe faction were illegal because the National Working Committee of APC did not monitor or participate in the processes. Justice Omotosho added that Justice Chinwendu Nwogu was clear when he nullified all primaries and congresses held during the pendency of the suit, which included the direct primaries conducted by the Abe faction. He said that both the Senator Magnus Abe and the Amaechi factions had no leg to stand in view of the judgment, hence both factions were disqualified from participating in the elections. The court held that the APC in Rivers State had no power to nominate and sponsor any candidates for the 2019 general elections. Justice Omotosho condemned the invasion of the Rivers State High Court during the hearing of the suit, saying that actions must be taken to check the excesses of persons interested in destroying the rule of law. Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt