Court Stops APC Primary in Bayelsa, as Party Postpones Election to August 31

By Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

A Bayelsa State High Court has ordered the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to conduct the forthcoming governorship primary using the direct primary method.

The applicants in the suit are Japan Christopher, Evinson Olotu, Oddu Oyimiebi and Obriki Isaiah, while the first respondents are APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and other members of the NWC, while the second respondents are Hon. Jonathan Amos and members of the State Working Committee of the party.

The aggrieved members, who dragged the party before Justice E G Umukoro, obtained the interim order restraining the NWC of APC from going ahead to conduct the forthcoming primary using direct procedure.

The applicants prayed the court for an order “abridging the time for which the respondents may enter appearance and file their respective counter affidavits and written addresses to the originating summons within seven days given the time sensitive nature of the suit.

“An interim injunction restraining the first respondents from adopting the direct primaries procedure for the conduct of the party’s primary election for the 2019 Bayelsa State governorship election pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons”.

The presiding judge, Justice Umukoro, ordered that the enrolled order of the court be served along with hearing notice to the respondents within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the NWC of the APC has postponed Bayelsa governorship primary election to August 31.

The primary election was earlier scheduled to hold Thursday, August 29 before it was postponed by two days.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

While the party adopted indirect as mode of primary for the Kogi gubernatorial primary, he said the ruling party has adopted the direct mode of primary in line with the written request of the Bayelsa State chapter and majority of the stakeholders.

Issa-Onilu said this was in compliance with the decision of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC), which grants state chapters and majority of party leaders in a state the right to decide on the mode of primary they wish to adopt.

He added: “NWC has shifted the date for the Bayelsa governorship primary from Thursday, August 29 to Saturday, August 31, 2019.”