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Tag: APGA

  • PDP greets opposition parties on merger

    PDP greets opposition parties on merger

    The Peoples Democratic Party has congratulated the opposition political parties for their successful merger and the formation of All Progressives Congress.

    In a statement in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Olisa Metuh, said that PDP as a ruling party and the biggest in West Africa welcomed the development.

    Metuh said the action was an indication that the nation’s democracy had come of age and was deepening.

    He said that with the formation of the APC, the PDP and Nigerians expected to see robust debates on the economy and other issues of governance in the general interest of the country.

    The publicity secretary advised the opposition parties to use the vehicle of their new party to challenge its elected and appointed officers to debate on government projects and achievements.

    He said that such debates would benefit Nigerians and enhance the political development of the nation on the long run.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that four major opposition parties – the Congress for Progressive Change, Action Congress of Nigeria, All Progressive Grand Alliance and All Nigeria Peoples Party on Tuesday merged to form the APC.

    The PDP spokesman said the party was ready at anytime to debate on the nation’s economy and other issues that would move the nation forward.

    He said, “We charge the opposition to use the new party to challenge our elected and appointed officers on debates on issues of governance.

    “We are ready, willing and able at any time to debate on any issue pertaining to the economy and any other issue of governance.

    “We want useful and constructive debates so that at the end of the day, Nigerians will be the utmost beneficiaries.”

    He said that PDP, as a ruling party was committed to the stability and development of the country, and would not dwell on the shortcomings of the merger arrangement.

  • APGA will be restructured, says party scribe

    APGA will be restructured, says party scribe

    All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Deputy National Chairman Dickson Ogu has said that the party will wax stronger and compete for power at the centre in the next general elections.

    He disclosed that the party’ Board of Trustees (BoT) will be inaugurated and charged with the duty of restructuring the party.

    Ogu, who spoke with reporters in Umuahia, Abia State capital, expressed optimism that a formidable APGA would emerge from the restructuring before March this year.

    He said: “We are hoping that this restructuring will end as soon as possible. We are expecting that we will soon be in Abuja to inaugurate our new BOT as stipulated by the APGA constitution and entrust the BoT members with the responsibility of bringing the restructuring to an end.

    “The new BoT will put in place other structures of the party hierarchy. I am promising you that before March, you will see a new APGA that will give our party new direction”.

    Ogu recalled that members had passed a resolution endorsing the restructuring, assuring that it will be implemented. .

    He said that the Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, spearheaded the restructuring last year when he wrote to the National Working Committee (NWC) to express dissatisfaction the rot in the party.

    He said Governor Peter Obi later supported the agenda, which he said, would move the party forward.

    Ogu said that the essence of restructuring was to democratise the party, stressing that those opposed to the move were undemocratic elements. He expressed the hope that APGA at the national and state levels would emerge from the restructuring stronger and compete for federal power in the future.

     

  • Put your house in order, PDP urges APGA

    The Abia state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA to put its house in order in the interest of the state.

    Speaking in Umuahia, the state capital, the Publicity Secretary of PDP, Uchechi Ogbuka said APGA, which is supposed to be a strong opposition, has been in disarray.

    Ogbuka, who was reacting to the statement credited to Senator Pius Anyim Pius, that 2015 polls would be a defining moment for Abia state, advised the chieftains of the party to stand firm rather causing acrimony in the state.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • I am restructuring APGA -Nwabu-Alor

    I am restructuring APGA -Nwabu-Alor

    The race to succeed Governor Peter Obi has started . Chief Sylva Nwobu-Alor, Obi’s uncle, is the National Coordinator, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Stakeholders Forum, a group agitating re-estructuring of APGA at all levels. That agitation has brought sharp divisions within APGA, threatening its chances of winning Anambra State in 2014 governorship elections. Nwobu-Alor, who is also the Camapign Coordinator of Governor Peter Obi, in this interview with Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, discussed the envisaged re-structuring of the party and it’s chances in 2014. Excerpts:

    2014 Governorship election is fast approaching in the state, what do you think will happen in Anambra State in the three Senatorial zones?

    There will be election of the governor of Anambra State, who will take over from the incumbent governor, Mr Peter Obi.

    What chances are there for the people of Anambra North, based on Mr. Obi’s promise, to them come 2014?

    They have chances if they can select credible candidate. A candidate that will be transparent like Obi. A candidate who is credible and is committed to the aspirations of the people of Anambra State. Such a candidate of course must be committed to what Obi has been doing, not a person that will come and destroy everything. Such a candidate has chances of winning and taking over from Governor Peter Obi.

    So, there is no agreement that somebody from Anambra North will be the Governor  in 2014?

    For purposes of equity and good conscience, the people that have not witnessed anything like governoship should be given an opportunity to nominate somebody of their choice. So, as you know, it depends on the masses. It depends on the acceptability of the individuals too. They might be happy to have a governor for the first time but as I said, depending on the nature of the person and the reaction of the people. If the people see him as a good candidate, they will vote him, otherwise, they may not.

    In other words, you are saying that the chances of Anambra North is slim.

    It’s not slim. What I am saying is if the person is acceptable to the people, yes. But if he lacks any quality, then, he may not win and that applies to everybody who is contesting. If you are not a marketable material, you will not win any election.

    But has APGA as a party agreed that 2014 is for candidates from Anambra North and no other zone should come and contest that?

    No, supposing they fail to present anybody, must they still be talking of the position. I don’t think it’s the issue. The issue is that they have been given opportunity to nominate somebody and the party and the governor will support whoever they nominate and ensure that he wins. But, you cannot say that it must be, because it all depends on them. Supposing they did not nominate anybody.

    Is there going to be transparent primaries to nominate candidates?

    If we have two or more candidates from Anambra North, then we subject them to primaries.

    Since APGA is talking of zoning to Anambra North, do you think that other political parties are saying the same thing?

    No, they are not bound to do so. We are talking about APGA. APGA has zoned it to the place and you should know that any election from now on in Anambra must be won by APGA. So, other parties may nominate but they don’t have chances in Anambra State.

    Why do you think so?

    I think so because we are restructuring the party and before we get to the middle of next year, the party will be so strong that it will amount to foolhardiness for anybody to come in to context for governorship and I am very sure of that.

    Is it now that the party is in disarray?

    It is not in disarray but it is not organised for effectiveness. It hasn’t got the cohesion required by the party to hold election which we are now putting into it. I am very sure that by the middle of next year, the party will be so strong that no other party can win anythig here.

    Who is the National Chairman of APGA?

    As far as  I am concerened, Massala is the National Chairman of APGA because Victor Umeh has been removed.

    But some individuals from Massala”s camp are going back to Victor Umeh to apologise for betraying him?

    It’s not true. Adams was sacked from the party three or four years ago. He is not a member of the party not to talk of being a member of National Executive Council. Ukwa was also sacked from the party two and half years ago, he is not a member not to talk of being  a member of the National Working Committee. Victor is just getting them for propaganda purposes.

    It is widely believed that you are the one causing problem in APGA?

    No, I am restructuring APGA, creating enabling environment for people to come in, it is Umeh and his cohorts that are causing the problem which we have. It is Umeh that made it impossible for us to win elections in Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Imo states and other places. So, who is causing the problem. I am creating an environment that will make it possible for the party to win, Umeh has created an environment that made it impossible for the party to win.

    But now in Anambra, there are factions in APGA. Some call themselves National Stakeholders Forum which you are the National Coordinator others call themselves mainstream APGA party and the two factions always clash in some  functions?

    You can investigate this, those people you see in different camps are the officers of the party. They are scared that if the restructuring continues, they may lose their positions because most of them are passive. So, they are afraid of losing their positions and that is why they are kicking. Nobody outside the office is against restructuring.

    Is your camp ready to embrace the peace dialogue being initiated by CAN?

    I don’t think that is continuing, CAN has seen that it is purely a political matter and they want to go back to their religious business. But even if it goes, we are not trying to punish anybody. This matter is Victor Umeh versus his employers. Employers of a political office holders are the stakeholders of the party. So, the chairman and his men are working for the stakeholders. If the stakeholders say you are not doing well, you should take an honourable exit. But, he said he is not going to do that, that, it will be under his dead body.

    But all of you elected them at Women Development Centre Awka to serve for the next four years?

    It is not true, there was no election. You better study the constitution. There was a general meeting of the national officers of the party where they approved the nomination of Governor Peter Obi as the candidate of APGA. Actually, the party did not nominate him, he was nominated by the joint signatory of Ojukwu and the Secretary of Chekwas faction of APGA. The constitution provides how to conduct convections. If you wish to contest when your power expires, you are expected to resign at least two monthes before the date of the election if you wish to recontest.

    If Chief Victor Umeh is ready for dialogue, will your camp allow him to complete his tenure?

    Well that simply means allowing the party to die because as it is now, unless it is restructured, we cannot win any election and that is my own. He was saying that his tenure will end by 2015 but now he has changed his gears and he is now talking about 2014 but whichever applies, we will not win anything. So, we cannot allow him to stay and destroy the party. I am not contesting anything and I don’t need employment by any political party, including APGA. So, I am not doing anything for myself.

    Is it not a contradiction, you said you didn’t need a job or employment from any political party, including APGA, but you are being employed already as the National Coordinator of Peter Obi Campaign Organisation and National Coordinator, APGA Stakeholders Forum?

    I am not employed by any political party. I will not contest for anything in APGA and they cannot give me a job. I am not fighting for Anambra State Government. I am fighting for APGA as a political party.

    You must be strong, at 80 and above you are still waxing strong?

    Well, you people gave the age. I was born in 1937 and Victor gave my age at 88. I am praying to God to live up to that and now you are talking of 80 and above. I don’t know where you saw my birth certificate. So you people assume too much and that is not correct for journalists. Journalists should be investigative in everything they do or say because people take you serious. So, if you pass on wrong information, people will buy it and parade with your wrong information. So, I am 75 – years if you need the correct age.

    There are some advertorials in a Newspapers where stakeholders were asking why Peter Obi did not hand over to the people of Anambra North when he finished his first tenure?

    I think I have said it before. It is a question of equity and good conscience. He has been there for two tenure as provided by the constitution.

    He was doing very well and we wanted him to complete his two tenures. It is entirely wonderful achievement and we are very happy for that. It would have been a disaster if he had left without completing the second tenure. We had achieved much in the first tenure and very much in the second one and we are looking forward for achieving more and we cannot go beyond that if the provision is there for him to continue. We will reelect him again but now that he cannot go further, we need somebody who has the capability, who have the commitment and the quality that will possibly surpass that of Mr. Peter Obi.

  • ‘No going back on APGA restructuring’

    The National Coordinator of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Stakeholders’ Forum, Chief Sylva Nwobu-Alor, yesterday said there is no going back on the restructuring of the party.

    Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and APGA’s embattled National Chairman, Sir Victor Umeh, as well as Emeka Ojukwu Jnr, the son the late APGA National Leader and Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, had told The Nation on Sunday that an all-encompassing reconciliation of estranged members is the panacea for the party to reclaim its lost glory before the 2014 election in the state.

    But Nwobu-Alor yesterday told The Nation that he was not a problem to APGA.

    The APGA chief said he was bringing reformation into the party.

    He said: “I am not the problem of APGA. I’m restructuring APGA, creating an enabling environment for people to come in. It is Umeh and his cohorts that are causing the problem we have in the party. It is Umeh that made it impossible for us not to win the governorship elections in Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and other places. So, who is causing the problem? I am creating an environment that will make it possible for the party to win. Umeh has created an environment that made it impossible for the party to win.”

    Nwobu-Alor was the Coordinator of the Peter Obi Campaign Organisation in 2010.

    The APGA chieftain said the party cannot win an election again in the state, if the Umeh-led executive continues in office.

    He said: “…Well, that means allowing the party to die because, as it is now, unless APGA is restructured, we cannot will any election. That is my own stand. Chief Umeh was saying his tenure would end in 2015. But he has changed his gears; he is now talking about 2014. Whichever applies, we will not win anything. So, we cannot allow him to stay and destroy the party. I am not contesting for any political party’s position, including APGA.

    “I’m not doing anything for myself. I am fighting in the interest of the Igbo nation. We must have a strong cohesive political party with which we can move into the Nigerian nation and take our rights. We should not to be treated the way we are being treated now. We should not to sit back and complain of marginalization. We need to organise ourselves, have a political party that will be strong enough to move into Nigeria.”

    On the controversy about his age that he is 88 years, Nwobu-Alor said: “You people (politicians and journalists) gave the age. I was born in 1937 and Victor gave my age as 88. I am praying to God to live up to that age. Now, you are talking of 80 and above. I don’t know where you saw my birth certificate.

    “So, you people assume too much and that is not correct for journalists. Journalists should be investigative in everything they do or say because people take journalists serious. If you pass on the wrong information, people will buy it and go about own with your wrong information. So, I am 75 years-old, if you need the correct age.”

    The politician noted that equity and good conscience demand that somebody from Anambra North should become the next governor.

    Nwobu-Alor stressed that this would only be realised if the area has a credible candidate.

     

  • APGA leadership and judicial activism

    APGA leadership and judicial activism

    It is said that the Court is the temple of justice. The ministers in this sacred temple are expected to live above suspicion. The credibility of a Court and its rulings is a function of the integrity of the presiding Judge. In the words of Franz kafka in The Trial; “Justice must stand still, or else the scales will waver and a just verdict will become impossible”.

    Justice can only stand still and the scales firm if Judges are not bias in handling cases.

    How justice is dispensed will determine the level of confidence the common man will have in the presiding judge in particular and the judiciary in general. The law should not be seen as a cobweb where the small flies (masses) are caught while the great (politically exposed people in government) break through and influence the course of justice with impunity.

    Most Nigerians still have confidence in the judiciary and administration of justice in Nigeria. The judiciary played a major role in stabilizing our nascent democracy through its landmark judgments. Many see it as an impartial arbiter and bulwark against injustices, it ought to be so. Anthony Aniagolu, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court admonished Judges while celebrating his 85th birthday on 25th October, 2007. He declared:

    “Of all the professions, you are the one that most directly represents God on earth, because God is justice and so by delivering justice on people you are sitting on his throne. For this reason you will be judged harsher than any other profession, so you must be careful how you deliver justice…Yours is the only profession directly created by God when he asked for twelve judges to be appointed for the twelve tribes of Israel. He did not ask for teachers, doctors or engineers to be appointed, but judges who will help him administer justice on earth. You must deliver justice as if it were God himself that is sitting on the bench. Justice must be your focus and the rule of law your guide”.

    It is obvious that some judges are not aware of the sanctity of their chosen profession or decided to ignore. Justice Olufuntola Oyelola Adekeye of the Supreme Court who retired recently alerted a bewildered nation of the enormous financial inducements politicians offer Justices of the apex court during proceedings on election petitions to deliver judgment in their favour.

    The Justice Kayode Esho Panel on Judiciary set up by General Sani Abacha on 29th December 1993, indicted 47 Judges in the country for corruption, incompetence, misuse of ex-part orders and abuse of office.

    Esho urged Abacha to act on the report if the Judiciary must be saved the shame and utter destruction. Various administrations have failed to act on the report despite pressure from eminent Jurists including Justice Akinola Aguda (retired), former Chief Justice of Botswana and late Chief Rotimi Williams demanded the release of the report.

    In the current dispensation, many Justices have been granting indiscriminate ex-parte orders that have paralyzed organizations, political parties and confused INEC on election issues despite cautions by past Chief Justice of Nigeria that Judges should desist from doing so. The fact that some high court Justices take pleasure in granting ex-parte orders and even extending them beyond the period approved by law even when there are no applications for such extension as was granted in the case of the All Progressives Grand Alliance involving Ichie Okuli Jude Ejike V. Victor Umeh (Suit No. E/270/2012).

    Victor Umeh’s opponents in the party decided to use one Okuli said to be a former member of APGA in Udi LGA of Enugu State to challenge the tenure of the Enugu State Chapter chairman of the party at an Enugu State High Court but lost. The court dismissed the suit as being a political matter which is not justiceable based on Supreme Court judgment in the case of Onuoha V. Okafor where the apex court decided that the court cannot dabble into political issues. The Judge advised Okuli to join another political party if he is not comfortable with APGA. The ruling subsists till today. In the present case Okuli re-circled the same case against Chief Victor Umeh, National Chairman of APGA.

    This time he sought and procured an ex-parte order restraining Umeh from convening a national, state and local government executive meeting of the party even though APGA is not joined in the suit.

    Umeh’s lawyer Patrick Ikwueto (SAN) filed a preliminary objection. The judge restated the ex-parte order restraining Umeh to 17th September 2012, when he would rule on the objection. The APGA boss frowned at it saying nobody requested for such a long extension of ex parte order. It is obvious that an ex parte order lasts for a maximum of 14 days. In this case it was extended to 48 days. The Chief Judge’s unilateral and unsolicited action grounded the party activities to the pleasure of the plaintiff and his sponsors. Ironically, the presiding judge said if the court cannot contribute to the development of the law, it cannot help in destroying it.

    A bewildered Umeh rushed to the Court of Appeal Enugu Division to vacate it describing it as a travesty of justice and asked the judge to withdraw from the case in the interest of justice. Umeh was stunned and suspected that the judge was acting a script by his opponents who had boasted that he must be removed at all cost. He reported the judge to the National Judicial council. The council queried him immediately. The nation eagerly awaits NJC’s decision.

    In what looked like a retaliation Justice Umezulike vacated the long ex-parte order and replaced it with an order of perpetual injunction that restrained Umeh from parading himself as National Chairman of APGA and adjourned for judgment. The Judge also refused to hear the motion praying the court that he should withdraw from the matter and re-assign same to a neutral judge.

    It is a common practice in all democracies for a judicial officer to withdraw from a matter if a litigant has no confidence in him to adjudicate on his case. That is the essence of fair hearing and faith in the judicial process.

    The Daily Sun newspaper of November 6, 2012 reported a similar matter where a petition was sent to the President of National Industrial Court demanding that Justice Moren Esowe should withdraw from a case instituted by Ambassador D. C. B. Nwanna against the Director General of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ezekiel Oladeji to prematurely retire him from service. The Judge was accused of manifest bias in favour of the claimant. She honourably withdrew from the case without shaking the foundations of the Judiciary and the nation.

    Perhaps if the Federal Government in collaboration with the National Judicial Council had sanctioned the 47 Judges indicted by the Esho Panel on Judiciary in 1994, the corruption and abuse of office in the Judiciary would have been eliminated.

    Although INEC in its letter dated 26th July 2012, recognized Chief Victor Umeh as the APGA National Chairman, one is at a loss why the Enugu Chief Judge would paralyze the activities of a party with two Governors; Federal and State legislators and numerous Local Government Councils’ Chairmen and Councillors.

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Maryam Alooma Muktar is very competent, decisive and pragmatic in the way she has piloted the affairs of the judiciary so far. Nigerians are of the view that she will halt the slide and drift in the temple of justice and restore hope in the common man that justice will be done even if the skies fall. The NJC should intervene in the APGA/Enugu Chief Judge matter immediately with a view to preventing a miscarriage of justice. The era of judicial impunity and recklessness in this matter and others must be stopped.

    • James Attamah is a public affairs analyst based in Lagos

  • APGA petitions CJN on Enugu CJ’s alleged interference

    The United States chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA-USA) has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mukhtar, to prevail on the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Azubike Umezulike, to hands off the case between Ichie Jude Okoli and Sir Victor Umeh, the party’s National ChairmaThe petition was also sent to the American Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

    It urged the authorities to examine the position of the CJ on the matter. The party alleged that Umezulike might have used autocratic judicial acts in handling the matter.

    In a 16-page document by Mr. Okwukwe Ibiam, the General Secretary of APGA-USA, the party called the attention of various authorities to the ex parte order and the interlocutory injunction by the CJ against APGA National Chairman.

    The party noted that the action of the Chief Judge would disrupt the activities of the party.

    “Chief Justice Innocent Azubike Umezulike refused to vacate the same interim order after its term lapsed on Tuesday, July 31. Justice Umezulike rather extended the same interim order on August 1, to September 16, when he said he would declare a ruling, after a hearing on an application from the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sir Victor Umeh, to vacate same order,” Ibiam said.

    The party noted that in his ruling on September 16, Justice Umezulike said his interim order would “endure”, because a “…reflection of these cases is of course demanded”.

    APGA-USA expressed worry that the Chief Justice, on September 24, extended the ex parte order initiated on June 25 and withheld judgment pending the review of an application before the Federal Court of Appeal, Nigeria.

    It added: “The judge, however, made a volte face and delivered judgment on October 8, in the same matter, without waiting for the ruling from the Federal High Court.”

    The party noted that the actions contravene Rule 2 (2), and Rule 2 A (6) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial officers in Nigeria on the issuance and use of interim injunction, ex parte.

    Rule 2 (2), states: “We, at the APGA, cannot but conclude that the use and grant of the ex parte motion and subsequently an interlocutory injunction was with bias”.

    APGA-USA said an extension of the same order could entail gradual denial of justice.

    It alleged that Justice Umezulike could have used the judicial process and legal procedures to slowly but surely choke the life out of the office of the party’s National Chairman.

    “We ask you to use your good offices to bring this matter to closure as the business of political activity is the daily business of the people and requires daily attention, which the APGA constitution requires our National Chairman to daily supervise,” it added.

     

     

  • Menakaya, Umeh battle over Ojukwu’s death, APGA

    Menakaya, Umeh battle over Ojukwu’s death, APGA

    A peaceful resolution of the crisis that has engulfed the leadership of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) seems far from sight as the party’s Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh and a member of its Board of Trustees, Dr. Tim Menakaya, engaged in a war of words yesterday in Abuja.

    While Menakaya warned Umeh on the likely consequences of his threat to expose the circumstances leading to the death of the National Leader of the party, Chief Emeka Ojukwu, while Umeh accused Menakaya of pandering to the whim of Anambra State Governor Peter Obi.

    They spoke to the media separately.

    Menakaya, who said Umeh has constituted himself into a tin god to control the party’s machinery, traced the lingering crisis in APGA to Umeh’s highhandedness, stating that he should be wary of his utterances on Ojukwu’s death in order not to incur the wrath of Igbo race.

    He said Umeh has frustrated every efforts made to ensure that the membership of APGA’s BoT is increased to, at least, 24 as stipulated in the party’s constitution.

    Menakaya said he is the only BoT member of the party till date, arguing that peace can only return to the party if Umeh sheds his toga of imperialism.

    He said: “We have the former National Chiarman of the party, and I use the word former because the case is still in court, always fighting other people. In any case, he should stop parading himself as the chairman of the party because there is a court injunction to that effect.

    “There is crisis in the party today because the National Executive of the party, the Umeh faction, sees itself as a colossus and we say ‘no, this one man show must stop’ so that we can have a truly responsible organisation that is structured. The whole crisis revolves around one single individual.

    “On his threat to expose what transpired before and after Ojukwu’s death, we are waiting for the 26th of November for him to make his revelations. But he must realise that, in this country especially where I come from, there are things that are sacrilegious. If you know how somebody died, then are you the doctor? From what he was saying, it is evident that he is saying that Ojukwu’s death is not ordinary. We are waiting for those revelations of his.”

    But in a swift reaction, Umeh wondered why Menakaya should be concerned about what he threatened to expose on the death of man that he never really revered while he was alive.

    Claiming that Menakaya’s sudden burst of political relevance is propelled by the recent appointment of his son, Ndubuisi Menakaya, as Commissioner for Special Duties in Anambra State, Umeh also explained that he was not surprised that Menakaya has been attacking the party’s leadership because of its opposition to the alleged zoning of the governorship to Anambra North Senatorial District by Obi.

    “If Dr. Menakaya refers to me as a former Chairman of the party, then who is his current chairman? Did he tell you? Menakaya has brought many untold suffering to this party and it will be hypocritical for him to say I am responsible for the inability to expand the membership of the BoT.

    “Let him say the truth. Where was Menakaya all this while? Governor Peter Obi made his son a commissioner for Special Duties and his in-law, Onochie Okagbue, the Chairman of the Dunukofia Lacal Government while also conceding the governorship slot to Anambra North. That is why Menakaya is talking and abusing an executive that was duly elected.

    “On my threat to reveal what led to Ojukwu’s death, how does that concern him? Menakaya is not a member of the Ojukwu family. I merely called on them to caution themselves and call themselves to order. It was when Ojukwu became indisposed that Menakaya appeared. How close was he to Ojukwu when he was alive?”

    However, both party leaders said peace can return to the party if all the factions sheathe their swords and to work together.

     

  • ‘My alleged removal, travesty of justice’

    ‘My alleged removal, travesty of justice’

    Last Monday, an Enugu State Chief Judge granted an interlocutory order restraining Chief Victor Umeh from parading himself as the National Chairman of APGA. In this brief encounter with Sam Egburonu, Umeh vows to upturn the order, which he described as a mockery of judicial process

    Early in the week, there was an order from an Enugu High Court against you, restraining you from parading yourself as the National Chairman of APGA. Is that the end of the matter?

    No ofcourse. The Chief Judge of Enugu State granted an interlocutory injunction against me as the National Chairman of APGA. The injunction was to restrain me from parading myself as the National Chairman of APGA until he delivers judgement on the main suit.

    Of course, this suit has been very controversial from the onset. If you have followed our responses over time, you will see that we have been working very hard to stop the man from the set mission which he was procured to accomplish by some people. The Chief Judge of Enugu State threw caution to the wind and departed from normal judicial process in conducting the matters before him.

    One was that on the 25th of July, he restrained me from convening the executive meetings of APGA at all levels-national, state, local government and wards. He based his exparte order on an application brought before him by one Jude Okuli, who claimed to be a former local government chairman of APGA in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. In that suit, Jude Okuli sued me as Chief Victor Umeh.

    The suit is therefore, Jude Ejike Okuli vs Chief Victor Umeh. Nothing more! In the relief he sought in the case, he asked the court to declare that my tenure as the chairman has expired since 2010.

    The fact that he sued me as Chief Victor Umeh, without joining APGA, has made this suit incurably defective.

    When that exparte was served on me, we filed a process of preliminary objection to the suit, based on four principal grounds. One was that the fact that APGA was not joined in the suit made the suit incompetent. The judge made an order restraining me from convening meetings of APGA and APGA was not a party to the suit. You know a preliminary objection is a challenge of the rights of the court.

    On the 31st of July when we came, the judge accepted to hear our preliminary objection and he said that if the court accepts any ground upon which the objection was predicated, the case legitimately comes to an end and therefore, he would take the preliminary objection first.

    That arguement was made by both sides and he adjourned the matter to 17th of September for ruling on the preliminary objection. Strangely too, he refused to vacate the exparte order and extended it to September 17 against the High Court rules of Enugu State which makes it mandatory that the life span of an exparte order shall be 14 days, first seven days, renewable for another seven days. He now extended it without any application from either of the parties which is a requirement for such an extension. He gave another 48 days.

    We put a notice of Appeal against the unlawful extension of that order. That notice of appeal was properly filed but the courts were on vacation. On September 17, we came to court for the ruling on the preliminary objection. But he said he would not deliver judgement on the preliminary objection, that he would take the main suit and deliver the judgement on the main suit and preliminary objection together.

    In all consultations I have made, if a judge makes an order to deliver judgement on a preliminary objection, he is bound to deliver judgement on that either in favour or against any of the parties. He cannot arrest the ruling. That is the practice.

    After reviewing what he had done, I decided to write him a letter, requesting him to transfer the matter to another judge because it was obvious that he has taken sides in the matter. I followed it up with a petition to the National Judicial Council on two principal grounds. He had no right to extend the life span of the exparte order and he has no right to refuse to deliver judgement on the preliminary objection already argued before him.

    One thing that is important to bring to notice here is that on September 17, he refused to vacate the exparte order, giving reason that since it was a matter of appeal, it was the Court of Appeal that could vacate it. That he doesn’t want to be seen as locking horns with the Court of Appeal.

    We wrote him a letter and wrote to the NJC and he was adamant. Knowing that he was bent on continuing to do damage, we filed a motion asking him to withdraw himself from the case. That motion came up for hearing on October 8 and he refused to take the motion and shouted the lawyer down that he would not take the motion.

    That he would want to take pending applications and the main suit and asked the other counsel to move his motions. Of course, the motions are for interlocutory injunction and to prevent me from expelling anybody from APGA.

    After carefully looking at all the issues, I consider this a mockery of the judicial process and a grave travesty of justice.

    I am going to challenge it through lawful means. The good thing about judicial process is that three levels of courts are established- the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. So, the decision of any judge is subject to review.

    It seems the the Judge is acting a script to decimate APGA. He has grounded the operations of APGA for three months now; yet APGA is not a party to the suit before him. APGA is not Victor Umeh. If you want APGA Constitution to be interpreted, you must make APGA a party in the suit. The order he made that I should not expel anybody is also laughable. I have no constitutional authority to expel anybody. The various organs of the party at different levels have that responsibility. He is just chasing me and destroying APGA that is not before him in the court.

    You are alleging that somebody, perhaps a political opponent, was behind the ruling. Who do you have in mind?

    There are other people who have interest in the matter but are hiding themselves. At the appropriate time, they will be unmasked.

    There is no doubt that as the National Chairman of APGA, I am stepping on very big toes by the pronouncements I have been making. I have continued to renew that call on the need for APGA to contest for Presidency in 2015. In APGA as constituted presently, some people that are highly placed are working for President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP. They feel that what I am saying is an affront on their master. I don’t care about that.

  • APGA chair: Court stops Umeh

    An Enugu High Court yesterday restrained Chief Victor Umeh from performing the functions of the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) pending the determination of the substantive suit before the court.

    The court, presided over by the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike, also restrained Umeh, his agents or proxies, in an interlocutory injunction, from expelling any member of the party.

    Ruling on a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction by Jude Okuli, who is challenging the legality of Umeh’s position as National Chairman, Justice Umezulike noted that the motion was to be heard on July 29 but was stalled by various interlocutory motions brought by the defendant.

    He averred that since the defendant had not filed any defence, the motion remained unchallenged.

    Justice Umezulike said: “Therefore, the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction succeeds. The defendant is hereby restrained from taking steps as Chairman of APGA and expelling any member, pending the determination of the substantive suit.”

    The judge vacated an earlier order he granted on July 25, restraining Umeh from convoking a national, state or local government executive committee of the party or expelling any member of the party, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

    He struck out two motions for stay of proceedings and his disqualification from the suit.

    Justice Umezulike awarded a N20,000 cost against Umeh on each of the motions.

    The judge adjourned judgment indefinitely on the substantive suit, adding that hearing notices would be issued to the parties when the judgment is ready.

    Umeh described the verdict as “travesty of justice”.