ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
A High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has halted the proceedings on the suit seeking to stop the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) from conducting the ward congresses.
The ward congresses were scheduled for Saturday, July 31, 2021 but the court prevented the APC from carrying out the exercise on that day.
The presiding Judge, Justice Iniekenimi Uzaka, made the decision after the counsel for the APC, Shuaibu Aruwa Esq, informed him of two separate notices before the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The two separate notices at Appeal Court sought orders for the lower court to stay execution on its interlocutory order and stay proceedings on order stopping the party’s ward congress.
The hearing into the interlocutory order at the court was, however, not without drama as two lawyers emerged at the court, claiming to be representing the APC.
Both Shuaibu Aruwa, Esq, and C.T. Olorogun Esq, claimed they were directed by the APC to hold brief for it at the State High Court.
Olorogun claimed to have been the Legal Officer of the APC in the state and had received the processes filed by the claimants against the party stopping the Saturday 31, July 2021 congress, contending that his appearance was legal and mandated by the party.
But Bayelsa APC chieftains present during the court proceedings, including the Acting State Secretary, Alabo Martins, the member representing Nembe/Brass at the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Isreal Sunny-Goli were shocked by the unfolding drama with noticeable protests until order was restored.
Aruwa, however, presented to the presiding judge a copy of a letter from the National Headquarters of the APC mandating him to hold brief in the matter before the court and that the purported State Legal Officer of the party, C.T. Olorogun, had been suspended and expelled from the party for alleged anti-party activities.
Justice Uzaka, after hearing the positions of both counsels, upheld the argument by Shuaibu Aruwa Esq that he was the authentic legal counsel for the party as Olorogun, who was the Legal Officer of the Bayelsa APC had been expelled alongside others.
Justice Uzaka said Olorogun was not with needed authority letter from the national headquarters of the party mandating him to represent the APC in court.
Aruwa, now authentic counsel for the APC notified the court that the party had filed a notice of Stay of Execution and Stay of proceedings on the matter at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division and sought the court to adjourn sine die pending the hearing and determination of the notices pending before the appellate court.
But the Counsel for the claimants, Perekedou Fawei Esq, objected and kicked against the oral application of the APC’s counsel for the court to adjourn sine die.
He argued that the oral application for adjournment by APC is against court rules and would not allow the appellant the opportunity to respond.
Fawei pointed out that the oral application is an abuse of court processes and accused the APC counsel of speaking from both sides of the mouth.
He said such application should have been backed by an affidavit, application and motion.
Justice Uzaka, however, adjourned the hearing on notice until September 27 pending the outcome of proceedings on notices before the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt.