Court annuls Imo congresses, orders fresh elections

A federal high court in Owerri, Imo state, has annulled the wards and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo state.

In a ruling on Thursday, Lewis Allagoa, the presiding judge, held that the congresses never held in the state in May.

The Imo chapter of the party has been enmeshed in crisis, leading to factions headed by Rochas Okorocha, the governor, and Eze Madumere, deputy governor.

The anti-Okorocha faction had claimed victory in the congresses.

But Allagoa ordered that fresh congresses should be conducted, urging the party “to be responsible, save our democracy by conducting free and fair congresses in Imo state”.

The presiding judge held that his court had jurisdiction to hear the case, while he dismissed the motion filed by the defendants.

Allegoa said the exhibits tendered by the plaintiffs, suggesting that there was no ward congress in the state on May 5, were factual.

“APC should go and be responsible and save our democracy. The defendants and the plaintiffs are members of the same political party, APC. There is no victor, no vanquished,” he said.

The Okorocha faction had approached the court seeking, among other things, a “declaration that the ward congress of the APC in Imo State which was fixed for May 5 was inconclusive and did not hold, since there was no result therefrom.”