The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has welcomed the Appeal Court judgement that nullified Justice Peter Lifu’s orders, which they described as “strange” and “unpatriotic”.
The judgement, delivered by a three-man panel led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, set aside Justice Lifu’s judgement that would have impaired the already conducted council polls in several states, including Kwara, Anambra, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Abia, Cross Rivers, and Kano.
According to the Rivers APC Spokesperson, Darlington Nwauju, the judgement has corrected the misrepresentation of the Constitution by Justice Lifu, which sought to impose INEC laws over State Electoral Bodies without any form of Constitutional amendment.
The APC also condemned the moves initiated by Tony Okocha, who they accused of using the party’s platform as a smokescreen to target and punish local government workers, state civil servants, and Rivers people.
The judgement has been hailed as a victory for the APC and the people of Rivers State, who have been resisting attempts to suppress truth in the state’s politics.
The statement reads: “The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has welcomed today’s judgement delivered by the Special Court of Appeal Panel set up to adjudicate in the political cases in Rivers State.
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“We welcome the judgement order of the three man panel led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi completely setting aside the strange judgement of Justice Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, whose strange judgement would have clearly impaired the already conducted council polls in Kwara, Anambra, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Abia, Cross Rivers, Kano and other states of the federation who relied on their enabling SIEC laws in the conduct of those elections.
“Recall that we had strongly condemned the unpatriotic moves initiated by Mr Tony Okocha and his co-travellers (more especially using our party platform as smokescreen), to target and punish local government workers, state civil servants and indeed Rivers people by attempting to use the courts to deny the state her rights to federal allocations.
“Rivers APC hails this judgement order which has clearly corrected the misrepresentation of the Constitution by Justice Peter Lifu’s judgement which sought to impose INEC laws over State Electoral Bodies without any form of Constitutional amendment.
“No gainsaying the fact that the same Constitution that established INEC also gives legal backing to SIECs, hence both bodies are saddles with the responsibility of conducting elections at the appropriate tiers and there is no way INEC can seek to hijack the functions of the various SIECs except there is a Constitutional amendment.
“Therefore, our stand on this issue and resistance of other convoluted attempts at suppressing truth in our state’s politics, is today justified.
“The September 30th 2024 judgement delivered by Justice Lifu clearly derided our Constitution, none the least his order to security agencies like the Police and DSS not to provide security in Rivers State, were orders made in very bad faith and deserving of thorough investigation by judicial gatekeepers.”
