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Tag: Ezeokenwa

  • Supreme Court affirms Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

    Supreme Court affirms Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday put to rest the protracted leadership dispute in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) by affirming the emergence of Sly Ezeokenwa as the authentic National Chairman of the party.

    In two unanimous judgments, a five-member panel of the apex court held that Edozie Njoku was wrongly laying claim to APGA Chairmanship.

    The court held that its earlier judgment on the appeal marked: SC/CV/687/2021, delivered on October 14, 2021 which was corrected on March 24,2023, and on which Njoku purportedly relied to lay claim to APGA Chairmanship, did not confer on him any enforceable rights.

    Justice Stephen Adah, 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 to the 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.

    Justice 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 court awarded N20million on each appeal against two members of Njoku faction (who are listed as first and second respondents), bringing the total cost awarded in the three appeals to N60m.

    The three appeals are SC/CV/824/2024 : APGA  & another vs. Chief Victor Ike Oye & others; SC/CV/825/2024: Chief Victor Ike Oye vs. Otunba Kamaru Lateef Ogidan & 2 others, and Chief Victor Ike Oye vs. Otunba Kamaru Lateef Ogidan & 2 others.

    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 noted that with its erudite judgments, given on Wednesday, the court has, once again, proved that it is indeed, the hope of the common man.

    Ezeokenwa said “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.

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    “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 distabilsed 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 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.

  • APGA crisis: Edozie Njoku can’t threaten Soludo, says Ezeokenwa

    APGA crisis: Edozie Njoku can’t threaten Soludo, says Ezeokenwa

    National chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA), on Friday described the purported suspension of leaders of the party by the Edozie Njoku faction as delusional.

     He also condemned what he described as reckless statements made by Njoku against the Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and other party members.

     Ezeokenwa said this while briefing reporters in Abuja at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.

    He spoke in response to a pronouncement by a factional APGA Chairman, Edozie Njoku, suspending some key leaders of the party including himself.

    Ezeokenwa described as laughable a situation where a non-party member would wake up one morning and announce the suspension of bonafide members including the party’s national leader.

    He said: “We categorically condemn Chief Edozie Njoku’s reckless statements against Governor Chukwuma Soludo and other party members.

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    “It is with deep regret that we witness the farcical and delusional antics of Chief Njoku, who yesterday brazenly claimed to have suspended esteemed members of APGA, including myself, Barr. Ifeatu Obi-Okoye, and Dr. Alex Obiogbulu.

     “This purported suspension, issued from a place of sheer imagination rather than any legitimate authority, is not only laughable but also serves as a clear indication of the lengths to which Njoku will go to distract from his own inadequacies.

    “Let us be unequivocal: Edozie Njoku does not possess the locus to suspend loyal and dedicated members of our party. His actions reflect a desperate attempt to exert control over a party of which he is not even a member.

    “By what right does a stranger seek to suspend the very architects of APGA’s success?

    “It is like an intruder attempting to evict homeowners from their own property. Such audacity is not only unfounded but also offensive to the integrity of our party.”

    Ezeokenwa said the party would not stand idly by and allow individuals or groups who don’t share APGA’s spirit of dedication to the service of humanity to destroy the sacrifices of its founding fathers.

    He assured APGA members and the general that while the party is diligently pursuing legal means to resolve issues, it will not allow impostors to drag its reputation into the mud.

    “At the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, APGA, and I were granted leave to appeal the Court of Appeal judgment of 28 June 2024 to the Supreme Court.

    “It was the said judgment of the Court of Appeal that Njoku and his co-travelers have hinged their illicit claim on, notwithstanding that the said judgment did not make any express order recognizing Njoku as APGA National Chairman.

    “In reiterating the firm principle of law on the need to join APGA and I in the case, the Court of Appeal confirmed that this move was “apposite and bespoke,” as I was validly elected Chairman of the party.

    “Those were the exact statements of the Court of Appeal. But Njoku came out in full force in his characteristic manner and again spewed lies about what transpired in the court, going through the back to appeal the court ruling after misleading the public that he won again at the Court of Appeal,” he said.