We Have Been Vindicated, Aguma was a pretender – Amaechi’s faction of APC

*I withdrew the case because it was a pre-election matter and overtaking by events—Igo Aguma, Abe’s faction

BY IBRAHIM BAKARE

The All Progressives Congress, APC,in Rivers State loyal to Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Minister of Transportation, says the Supreme Court’s decision, which threw out the claim of Hon. Igo Aguma to the Chairmanship of the APC Caretaker Committee is a welcome development. 

Reacting to the decision of the Supreme Court, that struck out the appeal filed by Aguma, the Spokesman of the party,  Chief Ogbonna Nwuke said the APC has been vindicated by the ruling of the Apex Court. 

“The truth has come to light. The truth is that Hon Igo Aguma did not have the locus standi  to declare himself as Chairman. It also demonstrates that the presiding Judge who planted Igo Aguma as Chairman of the Caretaker Committee erred in law in reaching that decision.

 Nwuke remarked that Igo Aguma ‘s disgraceful quest for power, relying on the manipulation of the law, has ended as a mere academic exercise.

“We have always known that Igo Aguma and his co-travellers were out to waste the time of  the court.

“We are glad that the Supreme Court has seen through the antics of the Pro-Abe group and accordingly thrown out the matter.

“The APC National Secretariat acted well within its powers when it appointed the Caretaker Committee headed by Isaac Abott Ogbobula. 

“It is now clear to all that the Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Justice George Omereji,( now retired), erred in law when it introduced a meddlesome interloper in the person of Hon. Igo Aguma as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Rivers APC in total disregard of the provisions of the party’s Constitution which bestows that right exclusively on the National Secretariat. 

“We hope that Hon.Golden Ben Chioma who is masquerading as a chairman or acting chairman would get the message. He came with Igo Aguma. He should quietly pack up his bags and leave now that the head of the hydra-headed snake has been cut off.

“On the whole, it is a bright new day for the Rivers APC and a positive indication that better days are coming”, the statement concluded.

In a sharp contrast,however,Livingstone Wechie,the Media Adviser to  Igo Aguma, said the Supreme Court today at the instance of Emeka Etiaba SAN, leading the legal team representing the Appellant Igo Aguma, granted his request to withdraw his earliest Appeal  on the grounds that it has become statute barred being a pre-election matter.

 Emeka Etiaba SAN, informed the Court that the Appallant had two motions.The first of the two being a Motion on Notice seeking a stay of further proceedings at the lower Court filed on July 15, 2020 and the second was a motion experte seeking to serve the first respondent by means of substituted service.

According to the statement, Emeka Etiaba SAN announced that the two Applications had been overtaken by events hence his application to withdraw both applications and they were struck out accordingly by the Supreme Court.

Thereafter, Etiaba SAN for the Appellant also informed the Court that the third Respondent Adams Oshiomhole had a Preliminary objection challenging his Appeal on the grounds that it is a pre-election matter and therefore is statute barred. 

Etiaba SAN informed the Court that being the case, and having considered the state of the Law, he is fully persuaded that indeed the Appeal is a pre-election matter and the Court has ceased to have jurisdiction to handle the Appeal and for that reason alone, the Court should strike out the matter.

 According to Wechie,”It was opposed by Tuduru Ede SAN, Counsel for Isaac Ogbobula who raised the issue that the decision may affect the other Appeals before the Courts as the issue of pre-election is being canvassed therein. The Court told him that they are treating the appeal currently before them and he should make his arguments in the other Appeal and that the reason Emeka Etiaba SAN presented is tenable before the court. Moreso he is at liberty to withdraw his Appeal. The court subsequently granted the request by Emeka Etiaba to withdraw the Appeal and struck it out.