The Federal High Court on Friday ordered the All Progressives Congress APC to refrain from conducting Saturday’s state congress or any other congress in Imo, pending the determination of a suit filed by Barr. Mbagwu Augustine and four others against the APC and 10 others.
According to reports, in the Motion Exparte filed on Thursday, the plaintiffs sought “an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st to 10th Defendants, their privies, servants, agents or any one acting on their behalf or any organ of the AlI Progressives Congress from holding a local government area congress of the All Progressives Congress or any other congress in Imo State pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction”.
Justice A. Lewis Allagoa who presided ordered that, “the respondents are hereby ordered to appear in court on the next adjourned date to show cause why the order should not be granted; “That time is hereby abridged to order that the returned date shall be 22nd May, 2018, provided that the respondents are served 48 hours before then; that all parties in the matter should maintain status quo ante bellum; that the matter stands adjourned to the 22nd day of May, 2018”.
Gov. Rochas Okorocha has been having a running battle with some stakeholders of the party in the state regarding the wards and local government congresses. The nationwide state congress of the party is slated for Saturday.
However, the Restoration/Coalition group in the All Progressive Congress, APC in Imo State has said there is no court order restraining the APC from holding the State Congress on Saturday, May 19, 2018.
According to a statement credited to Theodore Ekechi, Chief Convener Imo APC Restoration Coalition, he recalled that the ward and local government congress took place on the 5th and 14th May, 2018 respectively.
“ The present document being paraded by some disgruntled members of the party is a Notice of Appearance which may have been served on the party. This Notice is strictly on the ward and Local Government Congresses already held and upheld. It has nothing to do with the State Congress which is proceeding as planned and scheduled” he said in a statement.
