Supreme Court rules on Rivers APC crisis, Amaechi’s camp wins
Oru Leonard
After 6 years of internal crisis, the Supreme Court has cleared all the hurdles hampering the progress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
The apex Court after years of painstaking litigation between two factions of the APC led by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Senator Magnus Abe respectively resolved that the party and her decisions are supreme.
Consequently, the Court in a judgement read by Amina Adamu Augie, JSC, upheld the ruling of the Appeal Court and declared Isaac Abbot-Ogbogbula, Chairman of the APC in Rivers State following his appointment by the National leadership of the party.
Justice Augie on Igo Aguma v All Progressives Congress & 2 Ors (SC.17/2021) resolved that the decision of the trial court presided over by Justice George Omereji (rtd) of the Rivers State High Court was out of place because the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
“A political party is Supreme over its own affairs. The Appeal is meritorious. Onuoha v. Okafor; A party is like a club with voluntary membership to be so bound by its own rules. The issue of leadership is an internal domestic affair and the jurisdiction of the Court is ousted. The subject matter of the Appeal is not justifiable. The Cross Appeal is struck out,” the court declared.
On the suit by Dele Moses & Others, the court said the matter was not heard on its merit.
The Supreme Court decided that it is not within the purview of the court to protect the rights and privileges of members of a political party, particularly the APC because, “that is an internal party matter.”
