Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Another leadership crisis have erupted in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) following a recent High court judgement against the current party national leader, Sly Ezeokenwa Jr.
Ikengaonline reports that Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court sitting in Bwari, Abuja, Tuesday, sacked Barr Sly Ezeokenwa Jr. as the National Chairman of the party.
Justice Mohammed Madugu who delivered the judgment nullified all actions taken by Chief Victor Ikechukwu Oye since the Supreme Court, in a March 24, 2023, judgment removed him as APGA National Chairman.
According to the Court, Oye and INEC are bound to obey the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on October 14, 2021, and which was subsequently corrected on March 24, 2023, with the name of Edozie Njoku as APGA National Chairman.
The court in the Tuesday ruling ordered that all actions of Oye were unlawful, hence null and avoid.
Justice Madugu further ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise Chief Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA in line with the Supreme Court judgment of March 24.
Recall that the recent High Court judgment came barely weeks after Ezeokenwa, the APGA new national Chairman, was elected at the party’s National Convention which was conducted by the out gone leadership of Victor Oye.
However, Oye-led faction of the Party has dismissed the judgment of the High Court as “perverse and overreaching pronouncements.”
Tackling the judgment in a press statement issued on Tuesday, the new factional Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Ejimofor Opara, said the Party had no business whatsoever with either the proceedings before the trial judge or the judgment delivered by him.
He urged the Party’s supporters to disregard the claim that the said judgment has affected the new leadership of the Party, Chaired by Barr. Ezeokenwa.
His statement partly read: “Ordinarily, the leadership of APGA would have ignored the perverse and overreaching pronouncements made by Justice Madugu as APGA had no business whatsoever with the proceedings before the said Court. However, we are constrained to issue this publication for the benefit of the our esteemed party members and indeed the general public who may be ignorant of the correct implications of the said judgment.
“Our great party had raised alarm concerning the curious steps taken by Justice Madugu in the course of the proceedings particularly the Ruling he delivered on Friday, 2nd of June, 2023, wherein the Court purportedly declared as incompetent, an appeal pending before the Court of Appeal. Thus, the judgment of the Court didn’t come as a surprise to our great party.
“Apparently more befuddling is the ignominious attempt by the Judge to pronounce upon the tenure of the plaintiffs, which by their claim before the court had been rendered academic. By stating explicitly, in their supporting affidavit, that there were elected into office on the 31st of May, 2019 for a 4 year period, the plaintiffs suit before the court expired or elapsed on the 31st of May, 2023. Essentially, the court no longer had the vires or jurisdiction to deliver the judgment it delivered on 6th of June, 2023.
“In the light of the foregoing, we wish to state emphatically that APGA has no business whatsoever with either the proceedings before Justice Magudu or the judgment delivered by him on Tuesday, 6th of June, 2023. Our great party, APGA was not a party in the said suit and is by law not bound by the outcome or judgment purportedly delivered by the Trial Judge.
“Interestingly, the issues pertaining to the correct interpretation of the Supreme Court Ruling of 24th March, 2023, which the Court purportedly delved into has been laid to rest by the judgments of 2 Federal High Courts Coram Hon Justice James Kolawole Omotosho and Hon Justice H A Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division and Awka Division respectively.
“What more, the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division delivered on the 28th of March, 2023 has further been affirmed by the Court of Appeal in its judgment delivered on the 2nd of June, 2023. By the said judgment of the Court of Appeal which affirmed the judgment of Justice James Omotosho, Dr Victor Ike Oye was the National Chairman of APGA entitled to carry out the functions of that office.
“We wish to reiterate the fact that the nationwide congresses and National Convention of APGA were conducted in due deference and compliance with the judgment of the High Court of Anambra State, Otuocha Judicial Division which compelled APGA to conduct its congresses and National Convention before the expiration of the tenure of its current officers. Dr Victor Ike Oye cannot, under any circumstances whatsoever, be the same person as APGA. The All Progressives Grand Alliance is a duly registered political party with its common seal and thus has the full right to sue or be sued in its name.
“We therefore enjoin our esteemed members, supporters and the general public to disregard the claim of any alleged judgment affecting the leadership of APGA. Barr Sly Ezeokenwa remains the duly elected National Chairman of APGA having emerged from a proper National Convention duly monitored by INEC. Thus, he is the rightful person duly recognised by law to carry out the functions of the office.”
