Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha (Left), APC Logo (Middle) and Chief Elias Mbam (Right).
Chairman, Ebonyi State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha has maintained that with the alleged ungovernable disposition of the former Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Chief Elias Mbam, his suspension and fine by the party would not be stymied by any Jupiter.
Chief Emegha stated this while reacting to the position of the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, which restrained his office as the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its executives in Ebonyi State, from suspending or expelling Elias Mbam, from the party in the state, for having conducted a parallel primary at his campaign office in Abakaliki, on the same day the party held the gubernatorial primary at Pa Ngele Oruta Township, Abakaliki.
The court also restrained Okoro and the ward chairman of Mgbo Agbaja Ward in Izzi LGA of the state, Christopher Unachi and their servants, agents, privies or their servants from suspending or expelling the factional governorship candidate, Mbam pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
Recall that Elias Mbam, who emerged as a factional gubernatorial candidate of APC in Ebonyi State, had on hearing of his alleged suspension and expulsion from the party in the state, dragged both the state and Mgbo Agbaja Ward chairmen; Okoro, Unachi and the Commissioner of Police to the Federal High court sitting in Abakaliki.
Mbam, through his Counsel, Mr Chris Osani, in suit number FHC /AI/CS/93/2022, had prayed the court to prevail on the APC state chairman, Okoro Emegha and his executives, Mgbo Agbaja ward Chairman Unachi Christopher including their agents and servants from suspending or expelling him from the party in the state.
The trial judge, Justice Fatun O. Riman, however, granted his prayers and restrained the 1st and the 2nd respondents, their servants, agents, privies or their servants from carrying out their actions pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The matter was adjourned to the 20th of June; 2022 for a hearing.
Responding, Mbam, however, tasked the chairman of APC, Emegha to desist from using the ward chairman of Ningbo Agbaja, Christopher Unachi and seven others to suspend him from the Party in the state.
Mbam in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Obinna Udenwe, according to Daily Post, said: “We call on Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha to know that I will not be deterred by efforts geared towards bringing the APC to ridicule in Ebonyi State. He should be aware that the opposition parties are watching with keen interest and will surely take advantage of this to work against the party in the upcoming elections,” he stated.
But Emegha in his reaction asked: “Is it possible that the court can restrain a person without serving him?"
He further stated that no court has served him with any notice on the restriction order, saying Mbam was ousted by his ward, following his alleged insubordination to the party rule in the state.
According to him, "the court has not served me. Mbam has been expelled by his ward as a member of APC.
“The battle now is for him, Mbam, to pay the N2billion the ward charged him. He cannot stop his ward from expelling him from the Party. And so, he has been expelled from the party and the state chapter of APC will adopt it."
