By Azubuike Okeh
The Senator representing Rivers South-East in the National Assembly, Chief Andrew Uchendu has urged his followers to remain calm, following the court judgment that nullified his candidature in the 2019 general election.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator made the call in a statement signed by his media aide, Solomon Okocha on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Monday nullified the direct and indirect primaries held by two different factions of the APC in Rivers.
The court further ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to accept or recognise any candidate from APC for the 2019 elections in the state.
Meanwhile, Uchendu has described the judgment as `nothing new and strange’ as such orders had earlier been granted by a state High Court.
“That a Federal High Court said it has restrained the INEC from recognising candidates of APC in Rivers for the 2019 general elections is to me not strange at all.
“The news in this judgment is that, the same court said the direct primaries claimed to have been held by the other faction was illegal because APC did not conduct it,’’ he said.
He expressed the hope that the judgment of the Federal High Court would be upturned, because the National Working Committee of the APC supervised the indirect primaries that produced him as a candidate.
The Senator stated that in addition to other appeal pending before various courts, APC in the state would still appeal the judgment of the Federal High Court, to ensure justice.
