The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has upheld the appeal brought by Chief Victor Umeh and Alhaji Sani Shinkafi challenging the decision of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which removed them as the national chairman and national secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) respectively earlier this year.
The Federal High Court presided over by Justice Abdul Kafarati had on January 15, 2014, delivered a judgment sacking the Umeh-led exco of APGA and recognizing the faction led by Chief Maxi Okwu as the authentic excos of the party.
However, in a judgment that lasted about one hour, Justice Tani Hassan of the appellate court held that the lower court in Abuja erred by sacking Umeh as the national chairman of the party when it lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place.
Justice Hassan while upholding the grounds of appeal filed by the appellant, said the leadership tussle in the party is an intra-party affair.
In their separate reactions, Umeh applauded the verdict of the Appeal Court while the national vice chairman of the Okwu faction of the party criticised the judgment.
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