An Abia State High Court has ruled that the congress that elected the Donatus Nwankpa-led executive committee of the All Progressives Congress in the state contravened its order issued on March 8.
The ruling came even as the committee had been inaugurated along with 35 others by the out-gone national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, over a month ago.
The court sitting in Okpuala Ngwa in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area and presided over by Justice Collinton Okoroafor, had on March 8 sacked the former executive committee of the party which conducted the congress.
While sacking the committee, which was headed by Nwankpa, following an application made by another member of the party, Barrister Fabian Nwankwo, the court had declared its former secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ndukwe, as the new chairman.
Nwankpa and Ndukwe, who emerged at the parallel congresses of the party in the state about two months ago, have the support of former governor Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu and Chief Ikechi Emenike, respectively.
Dismissing an application filed by Barrister Perfect Okorie, counsel for the defendant/applicant, for stay of execution of the order for lack of merit, Okoroafor added that the order had not been appealed against.
Okoroafor, who awarded N200,000.00 cost against the defendant/application, frowned upon newspaper reports in which Nwankpa was quoted as having referred to the order as “a nullity delivered by a kangaroo court.”
Speaking further, the judge described Nwankpa’s attitude as,”irresponsible, reprehensible, and an attempt to ridicule the court to whittle down its power and to declare it a dog that can bark but cannot bite.”
