By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Lewis Allagoa of a Federal High Court sitting at Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria on Thursday ordered the ruling All Progressives Congress,(APC), to conduct a fresh congress in Imo State, while at the same time charged the party “to be responsible, save our democracy by conducting free and fair congresses in Imo State.”
The judge made the order even as he nullified the wards, Local Government Areas and state congresses of the Imo State chapter of the party held on May 5, 2018.
Delivering judgment in a suit filed by a faction of the party challenging the purported congresses of the party held on May 5, Justice Allagoa declared that the court has jurisdiction to entertain the matter just as he dismissed a motion filed by the defendants.
The judge held that the exhibits brought by the plaintiffs portrays the fact that there was no ward congress in the state on May 5, 2018.
But he admonished the party by saying , “APC should go and be responsible and save our democracy.
“The defendants and the plaintiffs are members of the same political party, APC.
“There is no victor, no vanquished”, he declared
It would be recalled that the plaintiffs who coincidentally are a faction of the party loyal to the state governor, Rochas Okorocha had approached the court asking for amongst other things, a “declaration that the ward congress of the APC in Imo State which was fixed for May 5 was inconclusive and did not hold, since there was no result therefrom.”