.As Onitsha South LG boss congratulates Ezeokenwa on victory
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, restrained Chief Edozie Njoku from parading himself as national chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Stephen Adah, affirmed the emergence of Sly Ezeokenwa as the authentic national chairman of APGA.
The apex court, in two unanimous judgments, held that Njoku was wrongly laying claim to the party’s chairmanship position.
Justice Adah held that the earlier judgment on the appeal marked: SC/CV/687/2021, delivered on Oct. 14, 2021, which was corrected on March 24, 2023, and on which Njoku purportedly paraded to lay claim to APGA leadership, did not confer on him any enforceable rights.
The judge, who read the lead judgment, held that in the 2021 judgment, only declaratory reliefs were granted, which were not executory.
He also held that there was no order or orders in the 2021 judgment to be executed.
Justice Adah noted that in the earlier judgment, the Supreme Court particularly held that issue of party’s leadership or who becomes the chairman of a political party was internal affairs of a political party and was not justiciable.
He further held that it was wrong for Njoku to have gone before the lower court to seek to enforce a judgment that had nothing to be enforced as no executory reliefs were granted.
Justuce Adah, who urged judges of the lower courts to be cautious, held that the judges of the trial court and the Court of Appeal, who declared Njoku chairman of APGA were wrong to have heard the suit by Njoku.
He proceeded to set aside the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on June 28, 2024, affirming the judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which had declared Njoku chairman of APGA.
The judgment in both appeals were applied to the third appeal, relating to the same issue of APGA leadership.
The apex court, therefore, awarded N20 million on each appeal against two members of Njoku faction (who are listed as 1st and 2nd respondents), bringing the total cost awarded in the three appeals to N60 million.
The three appeals were marked: SC/CV/824/2024, APGA & another vs. Chief Victor Ike Oye & others; SC/CV/825/2024, Chief Victor Oye vs. Otunba Kamaru Lateef Ogidan & 2 others, and Chief Victor Ike Oye vs. Otunba Kamaru Lateef Ogidan & 2 others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court in Abuja had, on Nov. 21, also restarted Njoku from parading himself as national chairman of APGA.
Reacting to the judgments, Ezeokenwa commended the judiciary for effectively putting an end to the leadership dispute in the party and affirming him and the Chairman.
He said that with its erudite judgments, given on Wednesday, the court had once again, proved that “it is indeed, the hope of the common man.”
“We should not always be saying bad things against the judiciary. Today, I am very proud of our judiciary as the last hope of the common man.
“like I have always said, our judiciary will always come through to save our nation when the need arises.
“That is what it has done today with the erudite judgments delivered today by the Supreme Court concerning the leadership of our party.
“Like our lead counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN said, what ought not to have taken place was created and has been dragged up to the Supreme Court.
‘It is unfortunate. Money has been expended and party’s structures destabilised just because of someone’s selfish and inordinate ambition.
“The judgments today have affirmed the convention that brought us to office and that we are in charge of the running of the party’s affairs.
“So, there is no longer speculation or doubt about the actual leadership of APGA. By the judgments, I, Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa has been affirmed as the Chairman of APGA,” he said.
Onitsha South LG chairman lauds APGA national chairman over supreme court victory
Meanwhile the chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Hon. Emeka Orji, has commended the national chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Sly Ezeokenwa, over his victory against a self aclaimed factional leader of APGA, Chief Edozie Njoku, at Supreme court Wednesday.
Making the commendation, Orji expressed satisfaction with the judgment adding that it has laid to rest all issues over who is the national chairman of the party and advised Njoku that the will of the majority of the people will always prevail.
Orji described APGA as a mass. Movement party that serves as vehicle that will lead the people to the promised land even as he described the victory as that of APGA and good people who believe in democracy.
According to him Governor Charles Soludo is not surprise with the victory because Governor Soludo is so occupied with planning on how to move the state forward and can not condescend so low to look at a case that distract him from moving the state forward.
He however, admitted that Governor Soludo has been informed of the victory which according to him did not come as surprise as Njoku would not have won.
The commended the judges, APGA faithful and Stakeholders for their prayers for the victory and prayed that the party will continue to move forward.
Recall that the Supreme Court has upheld an appeal by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), recognising Sly Ezeokenwa as its National Chairman.
In a judgement on Wednesday, the court also awarded N20 million fine against Edozie Njoku for filing a frivolous suit at FCT High Court, Bwari.
A few days ago, the Federal High Court in Abuja restrained Njoku from parading himself as the national chairman of the party.
Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment, held that there was no valid court judgment or order, including a judgment from the Supreme Court, that recognised Mr Njoku as APGA national chairman.
In the originating summons filed on 12 July, the plaintiffs sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Mr Njoku as 1st and 2nd defendants.
They filed the suit following the removal of the names of Mr Ezeokenwa, a legal practitioner, and his executive officers from the INEC website, and the replacement of same by the names of the Njoku-led leadership of APGA by the electoral umpire on 9 July.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Omotosho held that INEC was wrong to have recognised the Njoku-led leadership of the party.
