APGA leadership crisis deepens over S’Court letter

The crisis regarding the authentic national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has intensified, centering on the dispute between Chief Victor Oye and Edozie Njoku. This escalation follows a letter from the Supreme Court, which acknowledged receipt of a communication from Njoku. The letter confirmed the Supreme Court’s judgment in suit No: SC/CV/687/2021, involving Chief Jude Okeke and APGA, where a clerical error was corrected. The court advised Njoku to file his request appropriately, emphasizing that it would not reverse its judgment based on a clerical issue. Notably, the letter, signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hajo Bello, on behalf of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, addressed Njoku as the APGA national chairman.

In an exclusive interview with The on Tuesday, Chief Chekwas Okorie, the presidential candidate of the Njoku-led faction, asserted that the implications of last week’s letter indicate that Njoku is indeed the authentic national chairman of the party. Okorie cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Njoku’s position, warning that failure to do so could have serious repercussions. He stated, “Everything Oye did from May 31, 2019, till date is a nullity. Everything Edozie did from 2019 till date, including my nomination as a presidential candidate, is valid. If INEC continues to remain recalcitrant, the 2023 election will be nullified because the law is clear that if you deny a political party participation in an election, the election will be nullified.”

In response to these developments, Oye, through the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Tex Okechukwu, accused Njoku of spreading lies and falsehoods. In a statement released to journalists, Okechukwu urged the public to dismiss Njoku’s claims, insisting that Oye remains the National Chairman of APGA. He emphasized, “We wish to state emphatically and unequivocally that Victor Oye is and remains the National Chairman of APGA. To that extent, there is no extant judgment of any court in Nigeria that has pronounced otherwise.”