The National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has distanced itself from the state congress held on Tuesday in Ondo State, citing a subsisting court order restraining the exercise.
The party said its position was informed by the need to comply with an ex parte order issued by the Federal High Court barring it from conducting the congress in the state.
Naijaonpoint reports that the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, made the clarification while speaking on Arise Television.
According to him, the party would not disobey any valid court directive.
“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 authority. We are not a party of illegality,” Bashiru said.
“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.”
Justice Toyin Adegoke of the Federal High Court sitting in Akure had on Monday issued the ex parte order restraining the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission from proceeding with the congress.
The order followed an application filed by some aggrieved members of the party challenging the exercise.
Despite the restraining order, a congress reportedly went ahead in the state, producing 36 new officials for the party. However, INEC officials were absent during the exercise.
The Ondo APC has been enmeshed in internal crises in recent weeks, with tensions reportedly escalating into violence during the ward congress, where three persons were said to have lost their lives.
The state chairman of the party, Ade Adetimehin, was also reportedly beaten and injured alongside some party chieftains during a stakeholders’ meeting.
The crisis has exposed deep divisions within the party’s state chapter ahead of future political contests.
Notably absent at the disputed congress were the deputy governor of the state, Olayide Adelami; senators representing the state in the National Assembly; and members of the House of Representatives, except Jimi Odimayo, who represents the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency.
Bashiru further disclosed that upon receipt of the court order, the congress committee that had already arrived in the state was contacted and directed to stand down.