Delta APC Crisis: Appeal Court affirms Jones Erue’s Exco as legal

————-By Shedrack Onitsha————-

The leadership crisis rocking the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has been put to an end as the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City, Edo State, Wednesday affirms Prophet Jones Erue led state executive committee of the party as legal.

The Appeal Court upheld the outcome of the congress that brought the Prophet Jones Erue and upturned the judgment of Justice Nduka Obi of the Delta State High Court, Asaba, which on April 30, 2015 declared the executive as illegal and ordered for the conduct of a fresh congress to elect new officers for the party.

Recall that Chief Adolo Okotie-Eboh-led faction of the party in the state had approached State High Court, Asaba, in a Suit No. A/245/2014, asking the court to declared as illegal, the congress that elected Prophet Erue and others as executives of the Delta State APC.

Appealing the judgment of the State High Court, as delivered by Justice Nduka Obi, Erue’s state executive committee through its Counsel, Mr A. Mukoro, asked the Appeal Court to set aside the said judgment delivered by Justice Obi, on the ground that the decision occasioned a miscarriage of justice.

In its ruling, the Appeal Court held that the Chief Adolo Okotie-Eboh-led faction erred, when the failed to approach the APC Appeal Panel sitting at Asaba, setup by the party to hear cases emanating from the congress before rushing to the State High Court, noting that their failure to follow the due process make their case defective, it therefore, set aside the earlier judgment.

Reacting to the judgment, the Deputy State Chairman of APC, Delta State, Chief Cyril Ogodo described the judgment as a; “victory for Delta APC, victory for rule of law, victory for the forces of good over evil.”

He said that what played out at the Appeal Court, “shows that no matter how far lies travel’s it must be overtaken by truth, because truth is constant.”

Ogodo added that APC was built on justice, equity and fairness; therefore, whatever that does not confirm with these principles will not stand.

He also called on the genuine members of the party to rally round the State Exco, put aside individual’s interest and work for the growth of the party in order to takeover Delta state government house Asaba, come 2019.