By Jimitota Onoyume & Davies Iheamnachor

All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State has described as meaningless, the court order on Tai re-run election result.

In a statement, yesterday, Chris Finebone, state Publicity Secretary of the party, said: “Our reaction to the PDP court order against the release of Tai re-run election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is that it is not of any consequence if any person or political party decides to embark on an ego trip using the courts.

“In any case, the Electoral Act 2010, Section 133 sub-section 1 forbids any court from questioning INEC in any manner, other than by petition, complaining of an undue election or undue return presented to competent tribunal or court. Definitely, the Federal High Court where the PDP purportedly obtained its order does not qualify to issue such an order on INEC. It is, indeed, a meaningless court order as far as the APC is concerned.”

Meanwhile, protests have trailed moves by INEC to announce the result for the March 19 re-run election in Tai Local Government Area, Rivers State, despite an order of a Federal High Court, restraining the commission from doing same.

Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for Eleme, Tai and Oyigbo federal constituency, Dr Jacobson Nbina, who spoke, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, said that it would amount to gross violation of the rule of law if the electoral body goes ahead to declare the result for an area where it suspended the re-run elections on March 19.

Nbina said that the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak suspended elections in the area on March 19, saying the action was to safeguard lives and property.

According to him, at the time the suspension was announced, materials had not reached the polling units.