The Rivers APC led by Chief Tony Okocha says it cannot obey the ruling of the Rivers state High Court which nullified its congresses because it is a procured judgement and does not have any locus standing when the superior court speaks.
Speaking, during an interview at the weekend, spokesperson of the party – Chibuike Ikenga said they got an order from the Appeal Court directing them to go ahead with congresses, stressing that the state High Court cannot override the Appeal Court.
He also said there is a subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court which says that courts are barred from interfering in the internal affairs of political parties.
Ikenga said, “That’s a procured judgement and does not have any locus when the superior courts speak. Those are procured from River State High Court. So can that override the position of the Court of Appeal? Can it override the position of the Supreme Court? We have a judgment that said we should go ahead and do our congress, from the Court of Appeal.“
“The question we’re asking is ‘how come a state high court has the power to override the superior courts? It doesn’t have the powers. It’s a political jamboree from the Rivers State High Court, particularly from some of those judges. There is a subsisting court judgment, a Court of Appeal judgment, which gave us a clean bill to go ahead with our congresses.“
“I also told you that there is a subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court which says that courts are barred from interfering in the internal affairs of political parties. That’s the Supreme Court decision.”
