The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Ajibola Bashiru said the national Secretariat had directed the Ondo State Congress Committee to comply with the interim order of the Federal High Court restraining the conduct of Congress in the state.
Recall that the Federal High Court in Akure had granted an interim injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the Ward and Local Government Congresses allegedly conducted in February, as well as the proposed State Congress in Ondo State, pending further hearing.
Speaking on Tuesday night during an appearance on Arise Television Bashiru insisted that the ruling party remains law-abiding despite disagreeing with the court’s decision.
“We woke up to a court order by the Federal High Court, and as a law-abiding party, we directed our team in that place to wait until the order is vacated or there is a contrary order from the court,” Bashiru said.
He stressed that the APC would not act in defiance of judicial authority.
“We are not a party of illegality. Even though we believe that the court order ought not to have been granted to restrain the holding of the congress because it is not a perishable item, when there is a positive order of court, you must respect it,” he stated.
Bashiru added that while the party intends to challenge the order legally, it would continue to obey it unless vacated.
“You must respect it, even when you file an application to set it aside, unless there is a statutory provision to the contrary. So we are obeying the court order, but of course we are going to challenge that order for it to be vacated,” he said.
