The Independent National Electoral Commission’s recognised All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) National Chairman, Victor Oye, has denied media reports that the Supreme Court reaffirmed Edozie Njoku as the authentic National Chairman of the party. Oye made the statement on Friday after several news channels claimed the apex court had replaced him with Njoku. Speaking at a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, Oye described Njoku as a man unknown to APGA and stressed that no Supreme Court judgment had been issued on Friday, contrary to media reports.
“The attention of our great party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, has been drawn to a malicious and vile propaganda circulating on various news platforms, alleging the removal of APGA National Chairman Victor Oye,” Oye said. “The viral publication claimed that the Supreme Court delivered a judgment on Friday, 24 March 2023, affirming Edozie Njoku as National Chairman. While our party has become accustomed to the series of lies and falsehoods churned out by Njoku in his infantile claim to the coveted seat, what is worrisome is the alarming speed with which reputable media platforms have couriered this fake news to unsuspecting members of the public. This unfortunate turn of events makes it imperative for us, as a responsible and responsive political party, to set the record straight regarding the effect and purport of the alleged ruling.”
Oye explained that the Supreme Court’s actual proceedings are verifiable and will soon be confirmed by the certified true copy of the ruling delivered by His Lordship, Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba. “The application heard on 20 February 2023, brought by Edozie Njoku, was merely to correct a typographical error in the lead judgment delivered by Hon. Justice Mary Peter‑Odili (retired) on 14 October 2021,” he said.
Addressing the lingering leadership tussle, Oye recalled that after a fraudulently contrived judgment purportedly affirmed a factional national convention held in Owerri, he approached the Court of Appeal, Kano Division, as an interested party to have the judgment set aside. The Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision on 10 August 2021, allowed Oye’s application for joinder, set aside the Jigawa High Court judgment, and based its ruling on an earlier High Court of Anambra State decision that upheld the national convention held in Awka on 31 May 2019. The Court of Appeal held that the Jigawa High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter ab initio.
The Supreme Court, while upholding the Kano Division Court of Appeal’s finding that the Jigawa High Court lacked jurisdiction, affirmed all its findings. It is therefore “most bemusing and smacks of deliberate mischief” to suggest that the Supreme Court delivered another judgment on 24 March 2023. The reference to Edozie Njoku in the corrected judgment stems from the facts of the case filed by Alhaji Garba Aliyu in the Jigawa High Court, which alleged that Chief Njoku had been suspended by the APGA National Executive Committee. The Supreme Court corrected the judgment to state that the issue of Njoku’s alleged suspension is an internal party matter and therefore non‑justiciable. Consequently, the Court affirmed that the Jigawa High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit. Justice Garba unequivocally stated that Edozie Njoku was not a party to the appeal brought by Chief Jude Okeke at the Supreme Court.
Oye called on security agencies to immediately detain Njoku for questioning, adding that the document Njoku was brandishing was a forged piece used to curry favour from unsuspecting members of the public.
Comments are closed for this story.