More Trouble For APC As Court Stops LG Congress In Rivers

A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday stopped the All People Congress (APC) Local Government Congress earlier scheduled for tomorrow, May 12.

Justice Chiwendu Nwaogu gave the ruling following a riot at the court premises.

Senator Magnus Abbe (APC), representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, had filed a motion to stop the faction under Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, from holding local government congress of the party on Saturday.

Abe had alleged that there was no congress across the 319 wards in the state, but Amaechi said the exercise held peacefully.

Last week, one person was killed after supporters of the APC leaders clashed at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt.

Abe supporters had accused Amaechi of hijacking the process and preventing those loyal to the senator from purchasing forms required for contesting the ward election.

But as lawyers were preparing for today’s sitting, protest broke out in the court premises, leading to a temporary closure of the State’s Judiciary Complex.

An eye witness confirmed to THE WHISTLER that thugs brutalised some journalists, litigants and lawyers around the court premises.

However, the police responded by shooting sporadically into the air to disperse the rioters alleged to be supporters of a faction of APC in Rivers.

After calm was restored, Justice Chiwendu Nwaogu then granted an order restraining the APC in the state from holding its local government congress scheduled for Saturday.

He also adjourned until June 26 for hearing.

Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, later visited the court with some of his supporters, as they went round inspecting the havoc wreaked by the suspects.

Security operatives are currently at the court premises in a bid to maintain peace.