The trial Judge, Justice Lewis Alagwa, also granted a motion exparte before the court by counsel to the plaintiffs, Chigozie Aladun, requesting that the respondents should be served through substituted means, one which is the APC state chairman Mr. Hilary Eke.
According to Aladun, “It is just that some people have not been served and our interest is that everybody must be heard. Let us hear everybody.
“We filed a motion experte to serve them which the court graciously granted. We will serve them and then on June 22, when the matter is coming up, they will say their own and we say our own, then the rule of law will be enhanced.”
On why the plaintiffs went to court, Aladun said: “It is very simple; their position is that the congress was inconclusive and then the most appropriate thing to do is for the party to effectively consider their complaints and the court will give its ruling one way or the other.
“Some of the officers of the party have not been served. The chairman of the party in Imo State has not been served. The court granted leave to serve him by substituted means. We will do that and all of us will be ready for June 22nd.”
Speaking also, Soronadi Njoku, counsel to the National Organising Secretary of APC, Osita Izunaso, said a preliminary objection had been filed challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.
Njoku said: “It was awash in the social media through out the weekend starting from Friday, that this court made an order restraining the APC from holding or organizing the state congress in Imo state.
“It was everywhere that the court has made an order restraining the APC from carrying out the state congress pursuant to an order filed by the plaintiffs”.
