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Tag: Rivers APC

  • Rivers APC writes INEC, says enlist our candidates for 2019 poll

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) demanding the enlistment of its candidates for the 2019 general elections in view of the ruling of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court ordering the stay of execution of the judgement of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt which disqualified the party from fielding candidates in the election.

    In the letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission and signed by its Counsel, Tuduru Ede, the party reminded the commission that its candidates names were removed from the list of contestants following the ruling of the federal high court, pointing out that the commission has nothing to do with the case before the Rivers High Court as it was not a party to it.

    The names of the National Assembly, governorship and state house of Assembly candidates of the party were removed from the list of candidates following a judgement of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, but the party went on appeal and got a stay of execution order from the Court of Appeal, while the Supreme Court threw out the appeal challenging the order of the Court of Appeal

    A copy of the letter obtained by The Nation in Abuja reads: “We are solicitors to the All Progressives Congress (APC) (hereinafter referred to as our client) and on her behalf make this request. Recall that All Progressives Congress (APC) duly submitted the list of its candidates for Rivers State for the 2019 general elections in line with the timetable and schedule of activities released by the commission.

    Read Also: Polls: Again, FG reads riot act to INEC

    “Also recall that the names and particulars of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates were duly published by the commission as required by law.

    “We are aware that pursuant to the judgment in suit no: FHC/PH/CS/149/2018 between Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) v. All Progressives Congress (APC) and others, the names of APC candidates for Rivers State were removed from the final list of candidates published by the commission.

    “However, the APC aggrieved by the said decision of the Federal High Court on which the decision of the commission to remove the list was anchored, appealed to the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division in appeal number: CA/PH/38/2019 and the Court of Appeal in a considered ruling delivered on 6 February, 2019, has stayed the execution of the said judgment of the Federal High Court.

    “The Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division also in another appeal numbered as appeal Number: CA/PH/39/2019 further stayed the execution of the judgment of Federal High Court, Port Harcourt. Furthermore, appeal to the Supreme Court in appeal number: SC/118/2019 against the order of stay of execution granted by Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division has been struck out by the Supreme Court.

    “We are therefore dismayed that despite the ruling of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, the names of candidates of APC have not been published by the commission for the purpose of participating in 2019 general election.

    “It is imperative to place on record that the judgment of the Rivers State High Court, in suit No. BHC/78/2018 which was fought to the Supreme Court in appeal No: SC/1332/2018, SC 1333/2018, SC 1334/2018 and SC 81/2018 has nothing to do with INEC as it is not party thereto. You may also wish to note that in spite of the judgment of Rivers State High Court, the commission accepted and published the names of candidates of APC in respect of Rivers State and it was the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt that warranted the removal of the names from the final list published by the commission which judgment has now been stayed.

    “In view of the foregoing, we call on the commission to without delay publish the names of candidates of APC in Rivers State for the 2019 general election as submitted by the APC.We have no doubt that the commission as a law-abiding institution will accede to this request without delay.“

  • Rivers APC denies alleged move to scuttle elections

    Mr Chris Finebone, Publicity Secretary, the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Rivers has denied allegation making round that the party plots to scuttle elections in Rivers.

    Finbone told the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Port Harcourt that the accusation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was a mere imagination.

    He also said that the allegation that the Transportation Minister,Mr Rotim Amaechi was holding secret meetings in Abuja and strategising to disrupt elections in the state was another mere imagination by PDP.

    “Well, the claim by PDP that the Minister for Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, is holding any meeting whatsoever, dwells only in the infantile imagination of the PDP characters behind such outlandish allegation,” he said.

    NAN reports that PDP , during a media briefing on Tuesday, accused APC of conniving with the security agencies and employing other undemocratic strategies to scuttle elections in parts of the state.

    Finebone urged the public not to take the accusation serious, adding that it was a deliberate attempt to discredit APC and to dissuade its teaming supporters.

    “Rivers PDP is doing exactly what the Holy Bible refers to as the guilty running when no one is pursuing.

    “We hereby warn PDP to desist from maligning innocent members of APC who have done nothing wrong, whatsoever.

  • Rivers APC: no elections without our candidates

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Organisation in Rivers State has said there will be no elections if the party and its candidates were not listed in the ballot papers.

    The organisation also accused chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, of working with Governor Nyesom Wike to frustrate the party.

    Read also: APC demands daily briefing from INEC

    A statement by the Director of Strategic Communication, Tonye Princewill Campaign Organisation, said Prof. Yakubu was working with Wike to frustrate the people’s will.

    He said: “Though the election postponement is not a surprise, I still expected the INEC Chairman to stubbornly push on and try to force through the elections regardless. I still see disaster come Saturday. Unless we’re on the ballot, the election won’t be smooth anywhere…”

  • No elections in Rivers without our candidates, APC vows

    The All Progressives Congress Governorship campaign organisation in Rivers state has declared there will be no elections if its candidates are not listed in the ballot in compliance with a Court of Appeal ruling for stay of execution.

    The organisation also accused the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, of working with Governor Nyesom Wike to frustrate the party in the state.

    Director of Strategic Communication in the Tonye Princewill Campaign Organisation, in a statement, said they have taken to be fairly relisted on the ballot papers, including the contempt of court proceedings served on INEC.

    He vowed if they continue to treat APC in Rivers state with disdain, the election will still not hold.

    “Even though the postponement of the elections did not come to me as a total surprise, I was still expecting the INEC Chairman to stubbornly push on and try to force through the elections regardless. I still see disaster come Saturday.

    READ MORE: Breaking: Supreme Court dismisses APC’s appeal on Rivers election

    “Unless we’re on the ballot, the election won’t be smooth anywhere. The God of Rivers state wants justice and He will get it. We have not even had so much as an explanation from INEC.”

    He said that the INEC Chairman who was once a subordinate to Wike when the Governor was supervising Minister of Education under Jonathan may have skeletons in his TETFUND years that Wike can expose.

    “I had continued to maintain that Wike had since penetrated the judiciary, our security agencies and civil society with our money.

    “Now it appears that the electoral umpire too is no longer immune to the Wike virus too.

    “All dealing with him do need to be made aware, your temporary high will eventually be replaced by very permanent lows.

    “I’ve seen people vomiting ill-gotten wealth to then return it to the treasury. I’ve seen men and women lose their jobs for Wike.

    “It’s not a very pleasant sight. We have two appeal court orders and one Supreme Court judgement in our favour.

    “But if you listen to the Wike paid media, you will think that we lost.”

    ”

  • Rivers APC wants INEC boss jailed for contempt

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate in Rivers State, Pastor Tonye Cole want the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu sent to jail for contempt for allegedly refusing to obey an Appeal Court order of stay of execution.

    Director, Strategic Communications for the Tonye Cole Campaign Organization, Prince Tonye T.J.T Princewill said in a statement in Abuja that the INEC boss has already been served contempt proceedings to come and explain to the court why he has refused to comply with the order of court.

    Princewill said a delegation from the APC in Rivers State has served contempt proceedings on the Chairman of INEC for not being independent enough.

    According to him, Yakubu is to appear in court to explain why he should not be sent to jail for disobeying subsisting court orders by excluding APC candidates in Rivers State.

    He commended Rivers people for showing restraint and implored them to come out and vote as who becomes President is who determines the leaders in the state, saying “do not be distracted by INEC. If they do not put us on the ballot, that election will be repeated. It will not be an election. But the Presidential is not in doubt. All states must put in their quota towards victory. That includes us too here in Rivers State.

  • Rivers APC wants INEC boss jailed for contempt

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) and its governorship candidate in Rivers state, Pastor Tonye Cole wants the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu sent to jail for contempt for allegedly refusing to obey an Appeal Court order of stay of execution.

    Director, Strategic Communications for the Tonye Cole Campaign Organization, Prince Tonye Princewill said in a statement in Abuja that the INEC boss has already been served contempt proceedings to come and explain to the court why he has refused to comply with the order of court.

    Princewill said a delegation from the APC in Rivers state has served contempt proceedings on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission for not being independent enough.

    According to him, Yakubu is to appear in court to explain why he should not be sent to jail for disobeying subsisting court orders and excluding APC in Rivers state.

    He said “proceedings were served yesterday because INEC has shown us that it is no longer independent. How else can you explain the speed they acted after a judgement by Justice Omotosho that said we should not only be removed from the ballot, but we should also be barred from campaigning? People should learn to fear God.

    “Now that same Justice Omotosho order has been stayed, yet two weeks later, we’re still waiting for our rights to be restored and INEC is comfortable that. To make matters worse, the Supreme Court last week threw out the appeal against the stay judgement. So what is still holding INEC? They cannot exclude us. But if they do, they will face the legal consequences. We can either do this election once or they will conduct it twice. The law is on our side.”

    Read Also: Rivers APC: Supreme Court to rule on other three appeals

    He commended Rivers people for showing restraint and implored them to come out and vote as who becomes President is who determines the leaders in the state, saying “do not be distracted by INEC. If they do not put us on the ballot, that election will be repeated. It will not be an election. But the Presidential is not in doubt. All states must put in their quota towards victory. That includes us too here in Rivers state.

    It will be recalled that despite several pleas and multiple court orders, INEC has continued to stay mute on the matter of Rivers state, offering no details as to why the numerous judgements in favour of the APC have not been abided by, whereas judgements in favour of the PDP are more readily attended to.

    It appears that forces unseen have an interest in not seeing APC in Rivers state thrive.

    This no doubt is not the end of the matter.

  • Breaking: APC members in Rivers block INEC headquarters

    … insist electoral commission must obey Court of Appeal ruling to relist party, candidates

     

    Thousands of protesting members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, from 8 a.m. today, blocked the main entrance of Rivers headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Aba Road in Port Harcourt, insisting that the electoral commission must obey the ruling of Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt and relist the main opposition party in the state (APC) and its candidates.

    The aggrieved protesters, who were armed with placards bearing various inscriptions and chanting: “No APC, no elections in Rivers State,” were led by the party’s candidate for Rivers Southeast Senatorial District, Oji Ngofa, who is Nigeria’s Ambassador to The Netherlands.

    INEC’s Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Edwin Enabor, addressed the protesters and he informed them that the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Rivers, Mr. Obo Effanga, had not got to the office.

    Ngofa, however, insisted that he and other APC members would not leave, until their protest letter was personally handed over to the REC of INEC in Rivers, for onward transmission to the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

    The protesters were still in front of INEC office, with the gate still blocked, as at press time.

  • Breaking: APC loses bid to reverse judgment on Rivers election

    …as Supreme Court strikes out three remaining appeals

     

    The Supreme Court has ended the quest by the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Rivers State to reverse the October 10, 2018 judgment of the High Court of Rivers State, which barred it from holding primaries for the production of candidates for the next general elections.

    A five-man panel of the court, headed by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour struck out the three remaining appeals filed by the APC, Ojukaye Flag Amachree and Tonye Patrick Cole, on the grounds that they were statute barred, the appeals having been filed outside the time allowed under Section 285(9) and (12) of the Constitution as amended by the 4th Alteration Act.

    Justice Amina Augie, who read the lead ruling, which terminated the appeals, said the appellants, who were not parties to the original suit were not allowed by the Appeal Court in Port-Harcourt, the opportunity to appeal the October 10, 2018 judgment because they filed their appeal out of time.

    Justice Augie said the appeals, which were, this morning, consolidated by the court – SC/81/2019 (another appeal filed by APC), SC/1332/2018 (by Ojukaye Flag-Amchree) and SC/1334/2018 (by Tonye Patrick Cole and others) – are statute barred.

    The judge said the appellants have no leg to stand on, since the main appeal filed by the APC -SC/1333/2018, against the October 10 judgment, had earlier been struck out by the court in the judgment delivered on Tuesday morning by Justice Amiru Sanusi.

    Details shortly….

  • Rivers APC: Supreme Court to rule on other three appeals

    The Supreme Court has suspended proceedings briefly to enable it deliver its decision in the three remaining appeals in relation to the crisis in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.

    A five-man panel of the court, led by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour rose a moment ago after taking arguments from lawyers representing parties in the three appeals on the objection filed against the appeal by Ibrahim Umah and 22 others.

    Read Also; Supreme Court dismisses APC’s appeal on Rivers election

    The appeals, which were, this morning, consolidated by the court are SC/81/2019 (another appeal filed by APC), SC/1332/2018 (by Ojukaye Flag-Amchree) and SC/1334/2018 by Tonye Patrick Cole and others).
    The court took arguments on the objection filed against SC/1332/2018 (by Ojukaye Flag-Amchree) and said its decision will cover the other two appeals.

    The court is expected to resume again any moment from now to deliver its judgment.

    Details Shortly…

  • Breaking: Supreme Court dismisses APC’s appeal on Rivers election

    The Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed the appeal filed by the Rivers state chapter of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) on the 2019 elections.

    The Apex Court on Tuesday struck out an appeal filed by the party challenging the judgment of a High Court in Rivers State which barred it from conducting any primaries in the state to nominate candidates for 2019 elections.

    Read Also: Supreme Court rejects PDP’s appeal on Ogun crisis

    The Supreme Court judgement comes barely one week after the same court stopped the APC from fielding candidates in all elections in the state.

    The ruling APC was in support Mr Tonye Cole’s candidature for the governorship election which the Magnus Abe group rejected.

     

    Details Shortly….