Enugu: APC distances self from legal action over LG Caretaker Committees

The allegation that the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has instituted a legal action against the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) and others over the plan to set up caretaker committees to run the affairs of the 17 Local Government Councils, yesterday, took a twist as the State Chapter of the party denied consent of such litigation.
In a letter signed by the APC State Legal Adviser, B.N. Nebe which was addressed to the member of the party who filed the suit on behalf of the party, Hon. Hyacinth Nsude, the party said that its State Executive Committee did not give the plaintiff “the authority to sue any person, body or group on behalf of the party”.
The party’s State Legal Adviser frowned at the affidavit the plaintiff deposed in suit no. E/362/ 2015: APC and 17 Ors. Vs. ENSIEC and 24 0rs, where he among other averments, stated that he had the consent and mandate of the party to do so.
The APC State Legal Adviser therefore informed the plaintiff that “I am directed by the Chairman of the party in Enugu State to ask you (Nsude) to withdraw without delay, the suit which you purportedly instituted on behalf of the party without authorization from anybody to that effect.”
When contacted on phone, the State Chairman of the APC, Mr. Ben Nwoye confirmed the party’s decision on the matter.
The party also told the plaintiff to “take notice that your action constitutes perjury and conduct likely to embarrass or have adverse effect on the party contrary to Article 21 of the All Progressives Congress Party’s Constitution”
It would be recalled that the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mrs. Kate Ofor had last Monday issued a statement purporting that the Party had instituted a legal action against ENSIEC and others over the plan by the state government to set-up caretaker committees to administer the councils – a development that prompted the Enugu State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okey Eze to state that the planned committees were constitutional adding that “the state chapter of the APC has no moral ground to speak on the matter in the sense that most states controlled by the APC administer council affairs through caretaker committees.”
Eze revealed that contrary to the erroneous impression adduced by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Ofor over the litigation, the plaintiff’s payer for an Ex-parte Order of Injunction was refused by the court presided over by Hon. Justice R. O Odugu of High Court 6, Enugu.