Rivers APC: ‘Present candidates from direct primaries or fall in Zamfara situation’

A renowned professor of Constitutional Law in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Prof. Ned Nwokocha, has advised the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to forward the names of candidates that emerged from the direct primaries of the party held in the state to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The legal luminary, also the head of the Department of Constitutional Law who spoke in a live radio Current Affairs Programme, in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said that if the APC failed to heed the above advise, the case of Zamfara would repeat itself in Rivers State.

Professor Nwokocha stated that the judgment of the Supreme Court, delivered on October 22, had laid to rest the argument that the candidates that emerged from the indirect primary were not affected by the defective ward, local government and state congresses, held on October 19, 20 and 21, respectively.

According to Professor Nwokocha, “The Supreme Court judgement of Thursday, October 22, has laid to rest issues emanating from the congresses which provoked the crisis currently rocking the Rivers State chapter of the APC.

Those who are still pursuing the matter, hoping that the apex court will change its judicial reasoning when the case finally terminates at the Supreme Court should put their house in order.”

He explained: “The decision of the Supreme Court was on an interlocutory application challenging the stay of execution of an interlocutory injunction granted by a Rivers State High Court.

The truth is that the matter has gone beyond that because the matter was not in favour of those who violated the restraining order of the high court.

“But the matter has gone beyond violating the restraining order of the high court. There is a conclusive position now.

What is important about the Supreme Court judgement is that it settled the question of the interlocutory application.

And it is also a judgment that sounded a clear warning as to what the future position of the Supreme Court will be in the event that this matter eventually comes to the apex court.

“One of the justices clearly stated that the contemptuous cannot be allowed to benefit from their stupidity. If the Supreme Court tells you that, then, you must know what you are looking for to still go back to them on the same matter,” he said.

The constitutional law guru stated that the leadership of the APC should be more bothered about the subsisting judgement of the Rivers State High Court rather than worry about the interpretation of the Supreme Court judgement on the matter.

He explained that what the Supreme Court had done was to revalidate the position of the high court, adding that what the Supreme Court had done was to say that the judgment of the high court was sound and valid.

Pro Nwokocha further warned the leadership of the APC: “The situation in Rivers State is slightly different from that of Zamfara State. Two Rivers State parallel primaries were conducted by the APC in Rivers State.

What the party can do is to submit the names of candidates that emerged through direct primaries. But if the party does otherwise, it will fall into the same situation with Zamfara State.

“On the premise of the Supreme Court judgement, the candidates that emerged through indirect primary are defective because the delegates that emerged from the congresses that elected candidates through indirect primaries are unknown to the law.

“In the eyes of the law, APC currently has no existing candidates for elective positions in 2019 because those elected through indirect primaries were elected in breach and violation of the court order.

The party will be deceiving itself if it forwards the list of candidates that emerged through indirect primary and thinks it has eligible candidates for the 2019 general elections in Rivers State,” he explained.

Recall that the APC, Rivers State, is split into two. The faction loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, conducted indirect primaries which produced Arch. Dele Cole as the gubernatorial flag bearer of the party in the state while Senator Abe’s faction chose the Senator (Abe) as its candidate through direct primaries.