No panic over INEC’s nullification of Rivers’ guber primaries – Eze

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State chapter, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has allayed fears over the High Court’s nullification of the State congresses and the primaries that produced Tonye Cole as its governorship candidate for the 2019 gubernatorial polls.

The chieftain described as inconsequential, premeditated, and of no effect on the party’s preparation to capture Rivers State, noting that the court ruling nullifying the governorship primary election in the state, does not have any implication.

Recall that Justice Chinwendu Nworgu of Port Harcourt High Court had Wednesday in his ruling invalidated the nomination of Tonye Cole as the governorship candidate of the APC in the State, saying that the nomination was a function of illegality and unconstitutional acts.

But Eze, in a statement he personally signed yesterday noted with sadness the nullification by the same court, the Rivers State Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly primaries conducted on the premise of the illegal ward congresses.

Eze, a former Publicity Secretary of the defunct new Democratic People’s Party, nPDP, said the, “learned Justice erred in his ruling as the congresses that gave birth to the election of Pastor Tonye Cole, Senate and House of Representatives’ aspirants of the APC was executed by the national body of the party and not by the Ojukaye- led Excos as erroneously postulated in the judgment.

“The only body that has power to conduct Primaries of Presidential, Senate, HOR and Assembly is the national body of APC and not the state except in local government election.

“The learned Justice may have been deceived by not taken note of the fact that the National Working Committee constituted the committee that conducted the primary elections in Rivers State.

“Justice Nworgu may have been deceived not knowing that the Supreme Court is clear on matters like this that once a name is sent to INEC, no Court can change it not even INEC can stop the candidate “This judgment is not shocking or surprising to most of us that have been following the antecedents of Justice Nworgu since the legislative aide of Senator Abe, Mr.

Friday Kennedy boasted on how they will write this type of funny judgment for the learned Justice to deliver.

“So nobody should disturb himself or herself on matters like this as the party toed the right paths in all her conducts so far the elections of her representation are concerned in Rivers State.

“With this wise counsel, it is gladdening to note that the primaries so far conducted in Rivers State were done by the national executives and not Ojukaye-led excos in Rivers State.

“Although, the primaries conducted in Rivers State were indirect primaries which require only delegates to participate does not mean that it will be invalid.

Remember that apart from the executives of the party from the wards to the state who are delegates, there are other statutory delegates which the party constitution allows to vote during primaries and these persons also participated in the primaries as conducted by the party

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