Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha has hailed the Federal High Court Judgment which nullified All Progressives Congress (APC) Congresses in the state.
A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, presided over by Justice Lewis Allagoa had ordered fresh Ward Congresses in the state that will comply with the guidelines of the party.
Okorocha in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, remarked that “the Judgment of the Court on the issue of APC congresses in Imo has only authenticated his sustained claim and that of patriotic leaders of APC in Imo that the congresses did not hold in the state with a lot of proofs to that effect”
The governor argued further that “the judiciary has remained not only the last hope of the common man, but also the last hope of institutions and processes especially as they concern our democracy”.
He regretted that the former National officers of the party, had for one reason or the other decided to mess up the congresses that would have taken place in the state and had also ignored his genuine concern and repeated appeal that the congresses should be conducted to enable party members in the state fully participate and elect officials of their choice.
The governor noted that “Imo is the only APC state in the South-East and should have been encouraged to have successful congresses, to show good example to other states in the geo-political zone but regretted that those who had the task of conducting free and fair congresses decided to submerge the whole venture for their selfish agenda.
The governor commended members of APC in the state for “remaining calm and steadfast for all the time the controversies over the congresses were on and noted that the court has restored the desire of party members to elect officers of their choice at all levels in the state”.
He vowed APC in Imo will not tolerate those undue manipulations of electoral process, adding that “anybody determined to play his or her politics in APC must do so in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution and also in line with approved democratic culture and practices”.