The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has
de-listed all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the
upcoming general elections in Rivers State, barring them from
contesting.

 In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, on Friday, INEC Resident
Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr Obo Effanga, said the
decision by the commission followed the outcome of the ruling on the
litigation between two factions in the state’s APC.

Effanga noted that the APC factions of Sen.
Magnus Abe and that of the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi
Amaechi, had been in court over the conduct of congresses by the party.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
recalls that a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, had on Monday
ordered the INEC to expunge the names of candidates representing the APC
in Rivers in the February and March general elections.

The REC said that INEC had to obey the ruling of the court.

The presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho,
had ruled on the suit brought before him, asking the court not to
recognise any candidate from the state APC.

Omotosho referred to an earlier ruling by the
Rivers High Court, which nullified the ward, local government and state
congresses held by the state APC.

“All nominations in the APC, from
governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and others, are hereby
nullified and void and set aside.

“Only political parties that conducted valid primaries are eligible to produce candidates for the general elections,” the judge ruled.