The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Imo State, Tuesday, commended the Supreme Court for reaffirming Mac Donald Ebere led State Executives, as the authentic leadership of the party in the State, which it noted has sealed the fate of Dan Nwafor.
Nwafor backed by former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, had claimed to be the authentic Chairman of the party in the State.
In a statement signed by Cajethan Duke, State Publicity Secretary, Imo APC, he said the judgement has finally sealed and laid to rest, the question of the authentic Chairman of the APC in the State.
“Beyond the participation of Imo delegates at the just concluded national convention led by Hon Macdonald Ebere as the only recognized state chairman, this judgement has finally sealed and laid to rest the question of the authentic chairman of the APC in the state.
“While we celebrate the judgement, we equally commend our party men and women for their rare comportment and discipline in the face of unwarranted provocation by persons on a hatchet job to undermine the credibility and popularity of our great party. Finally, light has taken it’s glory over darkness” part of the statement read.
The party recalled that the Supreme Court affirmed the election of Hon Mac Donald Kelechi Ebere, as the rightful Chairman of the APC in Imo State.
This followed the majority judgement of the apex court which set aside an earlier ruling by an Abuja High Court, which recognized Mr.Dan Nwafor as the Chairman, an action which the national leadership of the party challenged up to the Supreme Court.
Recall that Dan Nwafor through one Evans Enwerem, had challenged the dissolution of Imo APC Executive Committee from the ward to state in the run up to the 2019 general election on account of gross abuse of office and anti party activities.
However, in the Supreme Court judgement read by Justice Adamu Jauro, on behalf of four other justices, it was held that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, lacked jurisdiction to have heard the suit ab initio
“The trial court lacked territorial jurisdictional competence to have entertained the suit in the first place, hence rendering the decision it reached a nullity” the judgement read.
The Supreme Court went further thus: “The law is settled that a suit should be filed in the High Court of the state in which the facts constituting the cause of action occurred that is the High Court of the state in which the events occurred”.
It further held that for the first respondent to have left Imo State, where the events in dispute occurred and rushed to Abuja to file the suit amounted to” forum shopping and a gross abuse of court processes”.
The Supreme Court therefore struck out the appeal and the suit together with the processes filed right from the trial court.
