The dream of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to field candidates for the general elections came crashing at the altar of the Supreme Court, Tuesday, as the apex court struck out an appeal it filed to challenge the judgment of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt barring the party from presenting candidates.
However, as the popular saying goes, it is not over until it is truly over. There is still a glimmer of hope for the APC as there are three other appeals still pending on the controversial primaries conducted by the Rivers State branch of the party.
Delivering judgment, the Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour-led bench of the apex court upheld the preliminary objection filed by a group of 22 members of the party loyal to Senator Magnus Abe, and struck out one of the appeals by the APC.
The 22-member group, led by Ibrahim Umar, is opposed to the emergence of Tony Cole as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.
Justice Amir Sanusi, who delivered the lead ruling of the five-man bench of the apex court, said that the preliminary objection by the respondents had merit and the apex court would give the reasons for its decision at a date that would be communicated to parties to the suit.
The five-man bench is currently hearing three appeals which were consolidated earlier on Tuesday.
