APC suspends congresses in Imo State

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State has suspended the party’s ward, local government and state congresses scheduled for Saturday (Today).

An FCT Federal High Court in Abuja had halted the exercises following a suit brought before it by a member of the party, Okey Anyikwa.

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Anyikwa, who is the APC chairman of Ideato South Local Government Area, had approached the Court for an injunction restraining the APC from going ahead with the Saturday’s congresses because of the judgment of the Appeal Court that upheld the tenure of the State Exco elected in 2018.

Presiding Justice Valentine Oriji also threatened to invalidate the outcome of the congresses if the party disregards the position of the Court.

In a statement signed by the Director General, APC Media Centre in the State, Cajetan Duru, the party urged members to be calm and comply with the court order.

The statement said: “All Progessives Congress, APC, in Imo State by this statement wishes to acknowledge receipt of the order of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which has mandated cancellation of every arrangement for the Congresses slated for, tomorrow, Saturday, July 31, 2021.

“However discomforting this development might be, as a law-abiding party, the State Caretaker Committee and the leadership of the party, rising from an emergency meeting this evening, direct thus: Consequent upon today’s Order of the High Court of the FCT, the Imo State APC Ward Congress is hereby suspended forthwith.

“All officers, stakeholders and members of our party are also directed to comply with this resolution, maintain decorum and await further directive from the party.

“It is important to clarify that this temporary setback is the handwork of enemies of our party, using one Okey Anyikwa, who parades himself as Chairman of our great party in Ideato South Local Government Area.

“We, therefore, urge our teeming members to remain calm, law abiding and not to be irked by this unbecoming provocative activity of disgruntled elements,” the statement added.