The National Working Committee, NWC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has announced September 12 for the meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party.
The Deputy National Secretary of the party, Festus Fuanter, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while addressing journalists after the NWC meeting.
He stressed that the dates chosen for the caucus and NEC meetings are subject to President Tinubu’s approval.
Fuanter noted that the party’s NWC discussed the issue and agreed that the party’s caucus would meet on September 11, the eve of the NEC meeting.
“We agreed for [September] 11 and 12 for caucus and NEC meetings subject to approval by Mr President,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NWC said the judgement of the Rivers State High Court sacking the Tony Okocha-led Caretaker Committee was not binding on the party.
The committee added that a court judgement or order is not binding on a person or organisation that is not a party to the suit.
To this end, the ruling party insisted that the Okocha-led Caretaker Committee in Rivers State remained the only recognised leadership of the party in the state.
Fuanter stated: “We want to categorically state and inform the public that the position of the party, All Progressives Congress, in the judgement delivered by the Rivers High Court, by Justice. S. Aprioko in Suit No. PHC 3592 CS. 2023, wherein the court reinstated the dissolved State Executive Committee, is that it is not binding on the party (APC).
“The claimant in the said case sued the national chairman and secretary of our great party and not the party itself, and you cannot sue an agent of a disclosed principal, [such] a court judgement, ruling or order is not binding on a person or organisation that is not a party to the suit.
“In Suit No. PHC/3592/CS/2023 between Sam Sam Etetegwung vs H.E. Abdullahi Ganduje & 7 Ors, wherein the court reinstated the Rivers State Executive Committee earlier dissolved by APC, it is not binding on APC because it was not joined as a party in the suit.
“Secondly, there is a valid and subsisting court judgement against Chief Emeka Beke and Iheanyichukwu Azubuike (former Rivers State APC chairman and legal adviser), respectively, wherein they were removed from office.
“The said case, Suit No. PHC/925/CS/2023, Omiete Efrebo & 9 Ors. vs Chief Emeka Beke & 2 Ors, were removed from office.
“It is pertinent to state here that the said judgement has been appealed against by Chief Emeka Beke and is pending before the Court of Appeal. In view of the above, the party still recognises the erstwhile caretaker committee set up to oversee the affairs of the party in the state.”