Edozie Njoku sets to take over APGA National Secretariat, writes IGP
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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku, is all set to take over the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja.
To that effect, Chief Njoku has written the Inspector General of Police and all relevant authorities, in a letter dated April 18, 2023, formally notifying them of his intentions.
The letter entitled “Request for the enforcement of Supreme Court judgment (SC/CV/687/2021) to take possession of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) National Secretariat/Headquarters at plot 1160, Cadastral Zone B07, Katampe District, opposite Ministers’ Hill Maitama, FCT, Abuja“, reads in full:
“The above subject refers.
I write to bring to your notice the Supreme Court Judgment of March 24, 2023 which reaffirmed and reinstated me as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) that emerged from the Owerri Convention of May 31, 2019.
Below are the Consequential Orders of the Supreme Court as contained in the Judgment:
(a) ‘The Party Officials were elected at its National Convention held on 31st May 2019 at Owerri.’ (Hon Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun in Page 7 of her contributory Judgment).
(b) ‘The suit had absolutely nothing to do with Chief Victor Ike Oye.’ (Hon Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun in Page 9 of her contributory Judgment).
(c) ‘That the subject matter decided by the Trail Court related to the suspension or removal of the Applicant (Chief Edozie Njoku) as the Chairman of the 1st Respondent and not that of the 2nd Respondent (Chief Victor Ike Oye) which was never pronounced upon by the Trail Court’ (Hon. Justice Mohammed Garba, JSC Page 11 of the Lead Judgment).
(d) ‘In the two (2) Appeals before the Court below; ie. (CA/KN/121/2021) and CA/KN/146/2021 in which Chief Victor Oye; the 2nd Respondent was joined and from which the Appeals No: SC/CV/686/2021 and SC/CV/687/2021 arose, respectively, the 2nd Respondent did not claim and was not found to have been the Chairman who was suspended or replaced at the Owerri Convention of 31st May, 2019 and who the 3rd Respondent sought to take over from as the Acting Chairman…’ (Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, JSC Page 25 of the Lead Judgment).
(e) ‘In the correct and proper context of the material facts summarized by the Court at Page 13 of the said Judgment, the name ‘Chief Victor Oye’ was mentioned in error and it was a slip on the part of the Court as the correct name should have been that of the Chairman suspended at the Owerri Convention of 31st May, 2029, i.e Edozie Njoku who is the Applicant.’ (Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, JSC Page 25 & 26 of the Lead Judgment).
(f) Lastly, in Page 22 of Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, JSC, the Court clearly listed the appropriate parties to the suit which includes Chief Edozie Njoku’s name, thereby exonerating him of any kind of forgery as alleged by Victor Oye.
Please find attached a copy of the Supreme Court’s Judgment and the Consequential Orders therein.
(2) Recall that upon my wrongful removal at the Jigawa High Court, as the SUBSTANTIVE National Chairman of APGA, Chief Jude Okeke, (a former Deputy National Chairman-South of APGA) assumed office as the Acting National Chairman of APGA on June 30, 2021; and was subsequently recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
(3) Consequently, on July 16, 2021, the Commission accepted Jude Okeke’s list of candidates for the Anambra Governorship Election and published Hon. Chuma Umeoji, as the Party’s candidate for the Anambra Governorship election.
(4) The Kano Appeal Court returned Chief Victor Oye as the National Chairman of APGA, with some consequential orders and instantly he was recognized by INEC and Jude Okeke’s list was discarded, while Oye’s list was accepted. However, the Supreme Court Judgment of March 24, 2023, has now thrown out the Kano Appeal Court consequential orders and making it ABUNDANTLY clear that Chief Victor Oye had absolutely nothing to do with this suit.
Hence, the Court declared:
‘In the two (2) Appeals before the Court below; ie. (CA/KN/121/2021) and CA/KN/146/2021 in which Chief Victor Oye; the 2nd Respondent was joined and from which the Appeals No: SC/CV/686/2021 and SC/CV/687/2021 arose, respectively, the 2nd Respondent did not claim and was not found to have been the Chairman who was suspended or replaced at the Owerri Convention of 31st May, 2019 and who the 3rd Respondent sought to take over from as the Acting Chairman in the suit filed before the trial court… (Please see Page 25 of the Lead Judgment of the Supreme Court.)
Subsequently, Hon. Justice Olatokunbo Motonmori Kekere Ekun, JSC went further to categorically state that;
‘It is therefore crystal clear that the dispute that gave rise to Appeal Nos: SC/CV/687/2021 & SC/CV/686/2021 was who should be that Acting National Chairman of the 1st Respondent and whether the ERSTWHILE National Chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku, was validly replaced. The suit had absolutely nothing to do with Chief Victor Ike Oye.’
Please see Page 9 of Hon. Justice Olatokunbo Motonmori Kekere Ekun’s Judgment.
(5) Sir, we can see that at every point, starting from Jigawa High Court, when Jude Okeke was pronounced as Chairman, INEC recognized him and at the Kano Appeal Court, when Oye was brought in, by the now debunked consequential orders, he was also recognized by the Commission; including, when Oye’s name was erroneously mentioned by the Lead Justice Mary Ukaego Peter – Odili Judgment which reads:
‘It needs to be stated at this point that the dispute being who should be the Acting National Chairman of the 1st Respondent, APGA and whether the Chairman, Chief Victor Oye was validly replaced are within the confines of the internal affairs of the 1st Respondent which is not justiciable.’
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(6) The March 24, 2023 Judgment has clearly and unambiguously addressed the APGA leadership crisis stating;
‘It needs to be stated at this point that the dispute being who should be the Acting National Chairman of the 1st Respondent, APGA and whether the Chairman, Edozie Njoku was validly replaced are within the confines of the internal affairs of the 1st Respondent which is not justiciable.
(7) However, despite the abounding substantial evidence upon which the Supreme Court relied on to arrive at their Judgment, Chief Victor Oye and Barr, Sylvester Ezeokenwa have continued to derail public thought by misinterpreting and misrepresenting the facts of the Judgment, with the intention to create chaos and throw the country into avoidable conflagration. They have resorted to the use of social media and Television interviews to challenge the decision of the Apex Court.
(8) On April 16, 2023, whilst ignoring Supreme Court Judgment, Chief Victor Oye through his protégé John Iwuala conducted an illegal governorship primary in Imo State which turned out bloody; resulting in several people being injured. The Nigerian Police moved in and arrested John Iwuala. Sir, you may wish to confirm this from the Dick Tiger Police station in Imo State.
(9) At the moment, Nigeria is highly inflammable and the environment is charged. Therefore, seeing supposed respectable people in society, with their enormous following, leading such a crusade against sanity, at this inauspicious time will be the height of vandalism.
(10) Conclusively, when the Supreme Court released its Judgment on March 3, 2023 on the new Naira redesign stating its position as a Policy Court, President Buhari in absolute show of respect to the constitution of Nigeria, and as the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria; in utmost regard to the principle of separation of powers took a bow and allowed the Rule of Law to prevail. Unarguably, this is how a State functions in a constitutional democracy.
(11) Finally, if President Buhari, with the enormous power he wields, as the President of the Nigeria could respect a Supreme Court Judgment, one wonders what games Chief Victor Oye and Barr. Sylvester Ezeokenwa are playing by flouting an Order of the Supreme Court Judgment of Nigeria. If not for anything else, such impudence must not be allowed to stand, because it has the potentials to cause upheaval in the country.
Prayer(s)
The Honourable Inspector General is most respectfully and eminently invited to look at the merits of this request and approve as follows:
(a) To deploy five (5) trucks of police officers for immediate takeover of the APGA headquarters by April 20, 2023.
We look forward to a mutual cooperation for the future.
I look forward towards your splendid cooperation.
Please, accept the assurances of my esteemed regards.
Chief Edozie Njoku
National Chairman, APGA
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