All Progressives Congress (APC) River State chapter yesterday rejected the Federal High Court judgment voiding the election of 22 local government council chairmen and councillors in the state.

The party’ publicity secretary, Chris Finebone, in a statement in Port Harcourt, described the court’s judgment as traverse of judgment.

 The party expressed sadness that despite its earlier ruling to stand down the matter until the appeal questioning the jurisdiction of his court was determined by the Appeal Court from October 12, Justice Lambo Akanbi, handed out ruling on a matter that was awaiting a decision of the Appeal Court.

According to the party, without any hearing notice to parties except, perhaps, to the PDP, Justice Akanbi presiding over Federal High Court 1 in Port Harcourt sat and quickly handed down a ruling in respect of a matter between PDP and other parties including the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission [RSIEC] voiding the election of 22 Local Council Chairmen and Councillors in Rivers State.

It added that the judge had claimed to have earlier ordered that the elections should not hold, adding that the position of Justice Akanbi was far from what transpired in the matter.

“The truth of the matter remains that there is a pending appeal on the substantive case in which same Justice Akanbi on the 29th of April gave as reason for adjourning the matter sine die until the appeal is dispensed with beginning from 12th October.

“How come Justice Akanbi decided to bring forward the matter without even serving hearing notices to the parties. Why does Justice Akanbi want to ambush and foist on the Court of Appeal a situation of hopelessness. What business does Justice Akanbi have in reopening the matter other than fragrant display of judicial rascality, APC queried.

The party reiterated that it applied to join in the matter which the Judge turned down and APC immediately proceeded to appeal that refusal to be joined and that appeal which was also pending.

As a law-abiding party, the APC appealed to the elected council chairmen, Councillors and its numerous members across Rivers State to disregard any ruling of any court other than that of the Court of Appeal which will sit on October 12, 2015 of which notice of hearing had been served on all parties.

The party added that it was not bound by the court ruling handed down by Justice Akanbi because APC duly applied to join in the matter and when the learned Justice refused the joiner application, the party proceeded to appeal that refusal, an appeal that was still pending at the Court of Appeal.

It said that it would wait and abide by the decision of the Court of Appeal in line with the earlier Order of Justice Akanbi himself that the matter can only be reopened after it had been dispensed with by the Court of Appeal which had already served all parties notice of hearing.

It advised Governor Nyesom Wike against misleading himself through curious court rulings to act outside the rule of law.
“The Governor should be reminded that the order of the Nigerian Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa restraining him and other parties from tampering with the elected local government chairmen and councils is still subsisting. Let him hold himself responsible for any action that may result from any ill-advised foray into the hallowed arena of justice on this matter.

The APC also advised the governor to put to good use the loans collected from banks and not running around court rooms and chambers with it in search of judicial officers to compromise.