BARELY four days after the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, ruled that Victor Umeh remains the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA), his rival, Mr. Maxi Okwu, Wednesday said that despite the judgment, he is the authentic national chairman by virtue of the April 8, 2013, National Convention of the party.
Umeh had, shortly after the Appellate Court's ruling last Monday, stated that "the Appeal Court judgment said that all decisions against me by the Enugu Chief Judge have been set aside", pointing out that the court granted all his grounds of appeal including the fact that the Chief Judge of Enugu State has no business prosecuting him.
But speaking with journalists in Enugu Wednesday, Okwu contended that the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Enugu, has opened another chapter of crisis in APGA since, according to him, "there is also a valid judgment of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the April 8 convention that elected me into office as the substantive national chairman of the party".
Okwu, who argued that unless there was a court judgment quashing the convention and its outcome, he remains the chairman, adding, "the judgment of an Awka High Court on our convention was upheld by this same Enugu division of the Court of Appeal".
He added: "As it is, there is now conflicting judgment of the Court of Appeal. It is unfortunate that the party has to go through another (series of) turmoil, but I know that it will end very soon. The party under my leadership is the authentic APGA; 18 members of Umeh's own NWC are with me. As it stands, the Appeal Court ruling makes Umeh a king without kingdom. He is now like a general without an army".
On how the party would face the forthcoming council and governorship elections in Anambra State, Okwu said: "There is a judgment of the Court of Appeal upholding Egwu-Oyibo as the chairman of APGA in Anambra State; so he will submit the list of candidates for the council elections to Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission.
"At the end of the day, I believe that I will submit the name of the APGA governorship candidate. I don't know whether you know the history of APGA, it happened in the past, but at the end of the day, the ticket was returned to the right person."
The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu State on Monday said Umeh should remain the national chairman of APGA even as it over-ruled the judgment of the state High Court delivered by the Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike, on February 8, 2013, which sacked the entire National Working Committee of APGA on the ground that their tenure expired in 2010.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Tom Yakubu, flanked by Justices Paul Galinje (chairman) and Modupe Kwasami, granted all the four reliefs sought by the applicant (Umeh) and resolved all the issues set out for determination in his favour.
The Guardian