By Jonathan Elendu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)has recognised Edozie Njoku as the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), according to sources at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The Njoku-led executive is expected to be uploaded to the INEC portal in the coming hours.
Edozie Njoku and his National executive were elected at the Owerri convention on May 31, 2019.
However, the Njoku team never assumed office as the National Executive of APGA as one Jude Okeke sued him and INEC at the Jigawa high court claiming that Edozie had been suspended and he, Jude should be declared national chairman.
This led to a plethora of lawsuits which culminated in a supreme court judgement on October 14th, 2021 which declared that the authentic leadership of APGA was derived at the Owerri convention.
Victor Oye, who was supposed to have handed over to Edozie Njoku claimed the mandate, although he held a competing convention at Awka, Anambra State on the same date.
Justice Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, who chaired the Supreme Court panel which declared the leadership of APGA as deriving from the Owerri convention wrote a letter to Edozie Njoku in 2022 where she declared that a “trajectory of errors and slip of pen and tongue” led to Victor Oye’s name being mentioned in the judgment as the national chairman.
Finally, on March 24th, 2023, the Supreme Court corrected the error by deleting Oye’s name from the judgment.
Instead of this judgment of the Supreme Court ending the protracted legal battle of APGA, a new legal battle ensued.
Kamaru Lateef Odidan and Rabiu Mustapha, two national officers of APGA sued Victor Oye and INEC for the enforcement of the supreme court judgement of March 24th, 2023.
On June 6th, 2923, Justice Madugu of FCT high court 40, Abuja, gave a judgement enforcing the supreme court judgement.
Justice Madugu Mohammed ordered Victor Oye to stop parading as national chairman of APGA and INEC to recognize Edozie Njoku as the substantive chairman.
Oye and INEC disobeyed Justice Madugu’s orders and were subsequently found guilty of contempt of court.
Oye appealed the ruling at the Appeal Court, Abuja.
On the 28th of June, the Appeal Court resolved all 10 contending issues in favour of Otunba Kamaru Lateef Odidan and Alhaji Rabiu Mustapha.
Yakubu Mahmood, the INEC chairman, and Victor Oye are to appear before Justice Madugu Mohammed on Wednesday, 10th July, 2024, for sentencing following their guilty convictions for contempt of court.
