“We didn’t Approve Ondo APC Congress”  –  APC Nat. Secretary, Bashir

By Ayodele Oni

The National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it directed Ondo Congress Committee to stand down in compliance with the interim order of the Federal High Court restraining the conduct and recognition of its congresses in Ondo State.

APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, made the clarification Tuesday night during an appearance on Arise Television, insisting that the ruling party remains law-abiding despite disagreeing with the court’s decision.

According to him, the party immediately directed its congress committee in Ondo State to halt further actions upon becoming aware of the court order.

“We woke up to a court order by the Federal High Court, and as a law-abiding party, we directed our team in that place to wait until the order is vacated or there is a contrary order from the court,” Bashiru said.

He stressed that the APC would not act in defiance of judicial authority.

“We are not a party of illegality. Even though we believe that the court order ought not to have been granted to restrain the holding of the congress because it is not a perishable item, when there is a positive order of court, you must respect it,” he stated.

Bashiru added that while the party intends to challenge the order legally, it would continue to obey it unless vacated.

“You must respect it, even when you file an application to set it aside, unless there is a statutory provision to the contrary.

“So we are obeying the court order, but of course we are going to challenge that order for it to be vacated,” he said.

The Federal High Court in Akure had granted an interim injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the Ward and Local Government Congresses allegedly conducted in February, as well as the proposed State Congress in Ondo State, pending further hearing.

However, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in company of the Congress committee went ahead on Tuesday in defiance of the court order to conduct the Congress.

The court order was at the request of a faction of the party in the state to stop the governor from imposing his cronies as members of the state executive committee of the party.