The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has said it was not disturbed by the court order stopping it from holding its congresses, as it was expected.

Seven members of the APC loyal to Sen. Magnus Abe in suit number PHC/1857/CS/2021, between Stephen Wonah and six others, on Monday obtained an injunction from a state High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, stopping the party from conducting its congresses.

The claimants sued APC and the state Caretaker Chairman, Isaac Ogbogbula, raising issues of exclusion in the congress nomination form sales and the congress proper.

Read Also: Members get court order against APC congress in Rivers

They sought to stop the congresses, pending the determination of the substantive suit by the court.

The court, presided over by Justice Ben. Wyte, granted the prayers and ordered the plaintiffs to serve parties through substituted means.

He also gave the parties 24 hours from the time of receipt of wright of summons to reply, and adjourned the suit till today for hearing.

Reacting to the development, the state party Caretaker Chairman,  Isaac Ogbogbula, in a phone interview with The Nation in Port Harcourt yesterday, said the order was expected even before the congress was conducted, wondering why they waited till after the exercise.

He said: “I am not perturbed at all, it was expected. We expected it even before the congresses. We have been expecting it. It is even coming a bit late. To the glory of God, we will continue to remain victorious in all the battles.”

Ogbogbula, a lawyer, however, explained that the court order does not affect the ward congresses held by the party on July 31 and its outcome, and that the plaintiffs in the suit admitted that the ward congresses have been held and results declared before the suit, and the order to maintain status quo was made.

“As at the time the order was made on Monday, we had already concluded our ward congresses, the results declared and entered.

“As far as ward congresses are concerned, the order does not concern them. In fact, the applicants, plaintiffs in the matter, admitted that we had concluded the ward congresses. So the latest development, being the order of the court that we should maintain status quo apparently did not affect the congresses,” he said.

Ogbogbula accused Abe and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of working to ensure that the APC in the state never succeeds, but noted that they will fail.

“Sen. Abe and his cohorts will always conspire with Governor Nyesom Wike to put APC down, because they are afraid of contesting elections with us. Nothing less, it was expected. So nothing strange about it.”

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