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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Supreme Court has affirmed Chief Kenneth Udeze as the authentic National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), bringing to an end the protracted leadership tussle in the party.
In a unanimous judgment by Justice Lawal Garba, the apex court specifically dismissed a suit challenging the Chief Udeze-led National Working Committee (NWC) of AA.
Justice Lawal Garba, who presided over the appeal, dismissed it for want of diligent prosecution. The Supreme Court held that, “The motion of October 10, 2024 for the dismissal and striking out of the appeal on ground of want of prosecution was served on the 23rd October, 2024 on the appellant and there is no record that he had taken any step to prosecute the appeal since then. The said appeal is dismissed for want of prosecution.”
Fredrick Ighiwiyisi had appealed against the Appeal Court judgment that affirmed the leadership of Chief Udeze.
He joined Osaro Uwaifo Z, Action Alliance (AA), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents in the matter. But the appellant, however, abandoned the appeal.
Shortly after the appeal was dismissed, Chief Udeze said the dismissal has settled the leadership crisis in the party.
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He said the focus of the party now is the 2027 election as there is no longer anything stopping the party from winning elections in 2027.
In the build-up to the Edo State governorship election, Hon. Frederick Ighiwiyisi filed an action in court challenging the primary election of the Action Alliance wherein Chief Osaro Uwaifo was nominated as the governorship candidate of the party for the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election.
The Action Alliance held its primary election on 24th February 2024 and nominated Chief Osaro Uwaifo as the candidate of the party for the 2024 Edo State Governorship Election.
However, Frederick Ighiwiyisi challenged the validity of the primary election on the grounds that the national executive of the Action Alliance, led by Chief Kenneth Udeze, which conducted the primary, is not the authentic national leadership of the party.
The suit, which was strongly contested, was dismissed, and the court held that by virtue of the extant judgments of the court, which were affirmed by the Court of Appeal, the national executive of the Action Alliance led by Chief Kenneth Udeze remains the authentic national leadership of the party, and any primary conducted by him is valid and lawful.
Honourable Frederick Ighiwiyisi appealed to the Court of Appeal, and his appeal was also dismissed by the Court of Appeal by a unanimous decision, also affirming the decision of the Federal High Court that Chief Udeze remains the valid and authentic national chairman of the Action Alliance with the power to conduct primary elections of the party.
In his continued challenge of the national leadership of the Action Alliance, Honourable Frederick had filed an appeal to the Supreme Court but failed to diligently prosecute it, as a result of which the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal.
