The Supreme Court has overturned the decision of the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, which permitted the conduct of congresses by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
The order of the appeal court issued on June 21, 2018, against the ruling of a Rivers State High Court, was voided by the apex court on Monday, on the grounds that the appellate court acted in bad faith.
Delivering judgment in an appeal filed by one Abdulahi Umar, Justice Centus Nweze held that the Court of Appeal ought not to have vacated the injunctive order issued against the APC by the Rivers State High Court on the conduct of the congresses.
Justice Augustine Nwosu, of the state high court had in an exparte motion filed by Abdullahi Umar, restrained the APC from conducting the congresses pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
But while the injunctive order of the high court was subsisting, the APC went ahead and conducted the ward, local government and state congresses on May 19, 20 and 21, respectively.
In the judgment, the Supreme Court criticised the Appeal Court for judicially indulging APC and vacating the injunctive order in the party’s favour when there was sufficient evidence that the APC was in contempt of court.
