APGA Criticises Anambra Govt for Defying Supreme Court Rulings on Party Leadership

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has expressed strong opposition to what it perceives as the Anambra State Government’s disregard for the rule of law, particularly in relation to recent court judgments.

The party is particularly incensed by the state government’s attempts to undermine its leadership, which was duly elected at the Owerri Convention and subsequently affirmed by the Supreme Court.

The controversy stems from the Anambra State Government’s recent proposal to amend the procedure for endorsing nomination forms for candidates in Local Government Council elections.

The proposed amendment seeks to replace the role of state or national party chairmen in the endorsement process with National or State Assembly lawmakers.

This move is widely seen by APGA as a calculated effort to sideline its recognised leadership, particularly its National Chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku, who was elected at the Owerri Convention.

APGA has strongly criticised this move, asserting that it is designed to erode the authority of its legitimate leadership and subvert the internal democracy of the party.

The party has expressed gratitude to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its firm stance against the Anambra State Government’s actions.

INEC has filed a counter affidavit challenging the state government’s submission, which APGA interprets as a clear endorsement of its leadership and the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The legal battle between the Anambra State Government and APGA centres on a suit filed by one Sylvester Ezeokenwa at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

In Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/966/2024, Ezeokenwa sought a declaration that the Supreme Court did not recognise Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA or validate the Owerri Convention.

This suit aimed to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Njoku’s leadership and the decisions made at the Owerri Convention.

However, in its counter affidavit, INEC provided a detailed account of the legal proceedings that had taken place.

The commission referenced a previous ruling by the Jigawa State High Court, which had upheld the suspension of Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman.

This ruling was subsequently appealed, with the case moving through the Court of Appeal in Kano and eventually reaching the Supreme Court.

INEC noted that the Supreme Court, in its judgment on 14th October 2021 (Appeal No: SC/CV/686/2021), had affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal and ordered that the status quo ante be maintained.

This ruling effectively reinstated Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA, recognising his leadership as the legitimate authority within the party.

The commission also acknowledged that the Supreme Court’s initial judgment contained a clerical error, mistakenly naming Victor Ike Oye as the National Chairman instead of Chief Edozie Njoku.

This error was later corrected by the Supreme Court on 24th March 2023 (Appeal No: SC/687/2021), which unequivocally reaffirmed Njoku’s position as National Chairman and validated the decisions made at the Owerri Convention.

Despite these clear rulings, the Victor Ike Oye-led faction of APGA continued to challenge the legitimacy of the Njoku-led National Working Committee (NWC).

This faction held a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on 18th April 2023, during which they resolved to hold a National Convention, in direct defiance of the Supreme Court’s rulings.

This led to further legal action, with the Njoku-led faction filing a suit at the Federal Capital Territory High Court (Suit No: FCT/HC/4068/2023) on 2nd April 2023.

In this suit, they sought an order compelling INEC to recognise the list of candidates produced by their faction.

INEC, in its counter affidavit, pointed out that the commission had acknowledged the existence of two parallel conventions held on 31st May 2019 in Awka and Owerri, both of which were recognised at the time.

INEC further emphasised that the Supreme Court has the ultimate authority to validate or invalidate a party convention. In this case, the Supreme Court had unequivocally validated the Owerri Convention and all the decisions emanating from it, including the election of Chief Edozie Njoku as National Chairman.

The commission stated that, as a creation of the law, it is bound to adhere to and enforce court judgments.

APGA has reiterated that the Supreme Court recognised the tenure of the executives elected at the Owerri Convention, even though their term was prematurely cut short by the Jigawa State High Court ruling.

The Supreme Court’s correction of this error restored the Owerri Convention’s executives to their rightful positions, effectively nullifying the tenure of Victor Ike Oye’s leadership.

In conclusion, APGA’s leadership has called on the Anambra State Government to respect the rule of law and desist from any further attempts to undermine the decisions of the courts.

The party insists that the legitimacy of its leadership has been conclusively affirmed by the highest court in the land, and any actions to the contrary are not only unlawful but also detrimental to the principles of democracy and justice.

The party remains committed to upholding these principles as it navigates the challenges posed by internal and external forces.