The Appeal Court has granted a stay of execution on a ruling by the High Court, nullifying the Primary Election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state.

The ruling followed an appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress in the state to stay execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered by Justice Kolawole Omotosho.

The Appeal Court granted one of its prayers and stayed execution of the judgment.

Justice Mohammed Mustapha, who read the judgment, stated that all parties affected by Justice Omotosho’s judgement have appealed it; therefore, it will be unjust not to grant the application to stay execution of the ruling.

Recall that a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, two weeks ago, nullified the direct and indirect primary elections conducted by two factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers.

Justice Kolawole Omotosho, said both factions of the APC acted in disrespect of a pending suit before a Port Harcourt High Court.

An APC governorship aspirant, Sen. Magnus Abe and other party members had approached the court presided over by Justice Chinwedu Worgu, challenging their alleged exclusion from the primaries.

Abe and his supporters had alleged high-handedness and irregularities in the planned conduct of the party primaries.

Justice Omotosho held that the APC in Rivers could not produce candidates for governorship, national and state assembly polls, while the matter was pending.

According to him, it is illegal for candidates for the 2019 elections to emerge from the two primaries conducted by the two factions.

The two primaries as claimed by the factions were held during the pendency of the matter at the state high court (NAN)