By Our Reporter
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has addressed and clarified the ongoing controversy surrounding the leadership crisis in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), refuting claims made by Barr. Sylvester Ezeokenwa and his supporters.
Find below key points representing INEC’s official position, as presented to the court on Wednesday September 25th, conclusively addressing the leadership dispute within APGA;
INEC’s stance was presented in response to a lawsuit filed by Ezeokenwa at the Federal High Court in Abuja, as outlined in its counter-affidavit in case number FHC/ABJ/CS/966/2024.
In the lawsuit, Ezeokenwa sought a court order directing INEC to replace Chief Edozie Njoku’s name with his own as APGA’s National Chairman. However, INEC’s reply provided a detailed explanation of its position, outlining the following key points:
1. In the first point of their response, INEC emphasized that the Supreme Court’s judgment in case SC/687/2021 specifically identified Chief Edozie Njoku as the rightful National Chairman of APGA, a position that had been under dispute.
2. INEC criticized Victor Oye’s defiance of the Supreme Court’s corrected judgment of March 24, 2023, which had confirmed Njoku’s leadership. The commission noted that the subsequent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on April 18, 2023, and the convention held on May 31, 2023, where Ezeokenwa claimed leadership, were both deemed illegal and void.
3. INEC also highlighted that APGA held two concurrent conventions on May 31, 2019, in Awka and Owerri, both of which were officially recognized.
4. Furthermore, INEC pointed out that the validity of a party convention does not hinge on its monitoring by INEC. A court of law has the authority to validate such conventions under certain conditions.
5. The Supreme Court had fully endorsed the outcomes of the Owerri convention, including the leadership decisions made there, and INEC is legally obligated to adhere to such court rulings.
6. INEC also mentioned that the Court of Appeal in Kano directed the parties to return to the status quo established by the Owerri convention.
7. The Supreme Court upheld the Appeal Court’s decision, which led to the removal of Victor Oye’s name, allowing the party to revert to the leadership structure established at the Owerri convention before any illegal actions took place.
8. The Supreme Court’s decision effectively resolved the issue of leadership tenure, recognizing the executives elected at the Owerri convention as the rightful leaders, whose term had been prematurely interrupted by the Jigawa Court.
9. In conclusion, the Supreme Court judgment reinstated the executives from the Owerri convention to their rightful positions, marking the period under Victor Oye’s leadership as a historical error.
