Appeal Court Clears Rivers APC For 2019 Polls

Eniola Olayemi

All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidates in Rivers State, Pastor Tonye Cole has described Wednesday’s order by the Court of Appeal for a stay of execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court as a victory for democracy.

Repoter reports that this is the second order of a stay of execution to be issued by the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal in favour of Pastor Tonye Cole and the APC.

Today’s matter which was heard by Judges of the Court of Appeal who began sitting on Monday after a brief adjournment was between the PDP and the APC. The previous stay granted was against the Magnus Abe faction.

Reacting to the latest decision by the Appellate Court in Port Harcourt,  the Spokesman for the organisation, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke quoted the APC flag bearer, Pastor Tonye Cole as saying that although the wheels of justice grind slowly, it grants reprieve to all who come to equity with clean hands.

Pastor Cole further attributed the victory in today’s matter by the APC to God and commended the justices of the Court of Appeal for being upright and erudite.

Urging Rivers people to remain calm and focused, Cole said evil could only prevail in the short run, insisting that God has put all those who have continously claimed to have connections in high places to shame.

He said that the outcome of the decisions so far issued by the court has proved that that the cases filed by the APC against the previous rulings of the lower courts were indeed competent.

Recall that the PDP had sought to stop APC from presenting any candidates.

It had similarly secured a judgment refraining the candidates of the APC from presenting or addressing themselves as candidates and barred them from campaigning.

“We are pleased that a sense of justice has prevailed in righting a clear injustice designed at depriving an electorate of the freedom to choose whoever they desire to lead them”, Pastor Cole pointed out.

“The spontaneous outburst of joy that has accompanied the stays”, the APC flag bearer added, “proves that ‘when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice’