APGA tussle: Njoku asks court to compel INEC to recognise him as chairman

By Wandoo Sombo
Abuja, Sept.10, 2020

Mr Edozie Njoku has approached the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking an order of Mandamus compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), to recognise him as National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Mandamus is an order compelling or directing a lower court or administrative decision maker to perform mandatory duties correctly.

Njoku who was in court on Thursday, also wants INEC to recognise his entire executives who were elected with him in Owerri in 2019 but were stopped from assuming leadership of the party by court injunctions.

He said that he was compelled to return to court to obtain the order because it was only the court that could order INEC to recognise him and his executives as the authentic leaders of the party.

“On June 5, a day before the expiration of his tenure, Victor Oye took me and the party to court, where he obtained an injunction that I should not perform my duties as National Chairman of APGA.

“He also got another injunction that APGA should not recognise me as National Chairman.

“After we gave our statements of defence to all his claims, he decided to discontinue with the suit.
“He filed his motion of discontinuance of the case and the two orders were vacated and the suit struck out.”

Njoku, however, said that since INEC was not a party to that suit, the commission was not aware of the development.
“So we are here to ask the court to compel INEC to recognise me and my executives,” he said.

He said his team would be patient and await the decision of the court adding that APGA was a law abiding party and the executives would not take any steps to jeopardize the party’s progress.

It will be recalled that a Delta High Court had nullified the National Convention held in Awka on the same day as the Owerri Convention of APGA.

The court sacked the executives of the party led by Oye that was elected at the convention held in Awka on May 31, 2019.

The court also voided the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the Governor’s Lodge, Awka, Anambra, about two weeks before the convention.
This was the NEC meeting that gave the power for congresses on May 19, 21 and 23, 2019 and a National Convention to be held in Awka on May 31, 2019.

The court made the ruling in a suit filed by some Board of Trustees (BoT) members of the party.
In the suit, the claimants sought the nullification of the May 14, 2019 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting where some decisions, including the National convention where Oye was re-elected national chairman, were made.