The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt on Monday granted a stay of execution of the Federal High Court judgment nullifying all primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
Apart from nullifying the primaries, Justice Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court had also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from fielding the party’s candidates in the forthcoming general elections in the state.
But Justice Ali Gumel, who presided on an appeal filed by a faction of the APC in Rivers, granted a stay of execution on the judgment delivered by Justice Omotosho on January 7.
The ruling means INEC is set to name Cole as APC governorship candidate in Rivers, a development that sent his supporters into wild jubilation scenes right from the court premises.
Supporters of Tonye Cole, the aspirant likely to be formally announced as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, were in celebratory mood on Monday following the Court of Appeal ruling granting stay of execution of the lower court's judgement nullifying all the party's primaries in the state and restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from fielding the party's candidates in the forthcoming general election.
While a faction of the party loyal to former Governor Rotimi Ameachi had produced Tonye Cole as its candidate from its primary, the other loyal to Senator Magnus Abe produced him as its own candidate.
However, on Monday, Justice Mohammed Mustapha ruled that since all parties affected by Justice Omotosho’s judgment had appealed it would be unjust not to grant the application to stay execution of the ruling.
The ruling means INEC is set to name Cole as APC governorship candidate in Rivers, a development that sent his supporters into wild jubilation scenes right from the court premises.
