The Supreme Court has adjourned hearing in a matter brought before it by H. A. Bello, counsel for Ibrahim Umar & 22 others seeking to nullify the congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.

The apex court said on Thursday that it would now hear the matter on January 21, 2019 – an outcome that pleased the Tonye Cole campaign. Tonye Cole won the gubernatorial congress in the state, which is being challenged by the Senator Magnus Abe faction of the party. Although efforts were made to delve into the competence of appeal no 198, which was not before their Lordships, it took the intervention of a Justice of the Supreme Court to stop the proceedings.

The Justice had mildly reminded the court that he was not a member of the panel set to hear appeal No 198.

A statement issued by the Spokesman of the Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, recalled that the appeal which was earlier adjourned to March 8 next year, was relisted for hearing yesterday, following an application by H.A. Bello.

All efforts to delve into other issues not connected to the matter on the court’s list were truncated, the statement explained.

According to it, “One of the Justices drew the attention of the Presiding Judge to the fact that he is not a member of the panel. This immediately left the justice with only one option, to adjourn to Jan. 21st to hear the application for abridgement of time.”

“We advise members of the public to remain calm while justice is sought. We need peace, built on equity and justice and we are in the right place to find it. Let us ignore cheap propaganda and falsehood. Irresponsible talk about thugs and our DG invading the Supreme Court is fake news from desperate minds. Tonye Cole and his campaign are a symbol of peace and no amount of provocative behaviour will divert us from this path,” Nwuke said..

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