By Nwaorgu Faustinus
The Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, says its attention has been drawn to grave misrepresentation of facts by some electronic media in Port Harcourt concerning the Wednesday ruling of an Abuja Appeal Court on the appeal filed by Lucky Odili of the APC seeking to upturn the decision of the election petition tribunal in Abuja which had on the 7th of June, 2015 struck out his petition against Uche Nnam Obi of the PDP representing ONELGA Federal Constituency.
The APC in a press statement made available to National Reformer said the party would like to clearly state with all sense of responsibility that the court of Appeal in Abuja did not uphold the ruling of the tribunal which earlier struck out Odili’s petition on grounds of failure to file within 21 days’ notice to INEC before the party’s primaries. Instead the appeal was struck out on the grounds that Lucky Odili had earlier filed a motion in the Appeal Court, Port Harcourt division on same matter.
“This was the reason Uche Nnam Obi of the PDP brought a motion to the Appeal Court, Abuja arguing that it was an abuse of court process for Lucky Odili to pursue two separate appeals on a single matter. Subsequently, the Abuja Appeal Court struck out the matter while suggesting to Lucky Odili to pursue his appeal at the Port Harcourt Appeal Court.
“We would like to recall that the same tribunal that earlier struck out the matters of Dr. Dawari George and Lucky Odili had since corrected itself by declaring in its later rulings that the 21 days of notice was a pre-election matter that should not be the business of the tribunal.
“Sadly, we also note that there appears to be another grand attempt by the PDP to hoodwink the public to believe that there are landmines threatening every APC petition before the tribunals. Obviously, that is far from the truth. What is very glaring at this moment is that all attempts by the PDP and its candidates to, directly and indirectly, delay the course of justice at the various tribunals have all been consigned to the dustbin of history by the exceptional brilliant rulings by the various panels of respected justices.
“The APC would like to advise media organisations to cross check their facts especially when they have to do with matters before the various election tribunals considering their very sensitive nature and the likelihood of sending wrong signals to the people” the statement concluded.
