JUST IN: Abia Court Suspends Ikechi Emenike As APC Factional Guber Candidate

Barely hours after emerging as the factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Chief Ikechi Emenike has been suspended from the party by a High Court sitting in Umuahia.

Justice A.O. Chijioke gave the order in a suit filed by three members of the Abia APC — Chinedum Nnoke, Ndem Chukwu, and Lucky Agwu Uduma — seeking suspension of Emenike for alleged anti-party activities.

In the suit marked HU/6/2022, the plaintiffs named Emenike, the All Progressives Congress, the former caretaker chairman of the party, Mai Mala Buni, and Chief Donatus Nwakpa as the first, second, third, and fourth defendants, respectively.

The Abia APC had been divided between a faction led by Emenike and another headed by Nwankpa, a former state chairman of the party.

A parallel primary election held on Thursday by the Emenike faction had produced him (Emenike) as a governorship candidate of the party in the state.

But delivering his judgment, Justice Chijioke barred Emenike from parading himself as a member of the APC while also denying him of all membership privileges.

The judge ordered as follows: “That by reason of the suspension of the 1st Defendant as a member of the 2nd Defendant in conformity with the provisions and requirements of Article 21 of the 2014 All Progressive Congress Constitution (as amended) the 1st Defendants’ membership of All Progressives Congress including rights and privileges attached thereto are suspended.

“That the 2nd to 4th Defendants are in breach of the provisions of Article 9.3 of the 2014 All Progressives Congress Constitution (as amended) by continuing to deal with, recognise, and parade the 1st Defendant as a member of the 2nd Defendant while he Is on suspension, including recommending and nominating him for appointments to organizations, agencies and bodies to which lawful members of the party are entitled.

“That by virtue of the suspension of the 1st defendant as a member of the 2nd defendant, the 1st defendant cannot participate in whatever form whatsoever In the activities of the 2nd defendant including the scheduled ward, Local Government, State and National Congresses of the 2nd defendant due to take place between 2021 and 2022.

“That order of injunction is hereby made restraining the 1st defendant from parading, dignifying and or posturing himself as a legitimate member of All Progressives Congress during the subsistence of his suspension from the party as prescribed by the constitution.

“The 2nd to 4th defendants by themselves, their agents, servants or any person or person acting at their behest are hereby restrained from recognizing and dealing with the 1st defendant as a member of the 2nd defendant while his suspension as a member of the 2nd defendant subsists.”