Why we recognised Njoku as APGA national chairman

From Godwin Tsa Abuja

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said the affirmation and recognition of Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was in obedience to court orders. He told Justice Mohammed Madugu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Bwari division.

Speaking through his counsel, Ahmed Mohammed, the INEC boss added that the decision was also to purge himself of the committal order placed on him by the court.

Meanwhile, the purported erstwhile chairman of the party, Chief Victor Oye, narrowly escaped being committed to prison in a committal proceedings against him.

Justice Madugu, had on November 9, 2023, delivered judgement on the committal proceedings brought against Chief Oye (1st respondent), and Chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu (2nd respondent), for disobeying a valid order of the High Court made on May 10, 2023.

The court had found Oye and Yakubu in contempt of the order made on May 10, 2023.

The contempt charge arose from a suit by two national officers of the APGA, Otumba Camaru Ogidan and Alhaji Rabiu Mustapha, who had approached an FCT High Court, Bwari, to enforce a judgement of the Supreme Court in respect of the leadership tussle rocking the party.

After counsel to the plaintiff/applicants, Michael Ajara, had told the court the latest development, the INEC lawyer, Ahmed Mohammed, confirmed the situation at the Commission.

“My lord, on behalf of the second respondent, upon being served with the certified true copy of the Court of Appeal judgment, delivered on June 28, 2024; same was forwarded to the Chairman, and the Commission sat on July 9, and deliberated on the two judgements.

“The Commission came out with a decision extract in compliance with the two judgments of the Court of Appeal, and which we undertake in court to serve all the parties that the commission has fully complied with the judgments; and has restored the name of the second plaintiff/applicant in its website as National Chairman of the APGA” the INEC lawyer told the court.

Mohammed also made an undertaking before Justice Madugu that he would file the meeting extract where the decision recognising and putting Chief Njoku’s name on INEC’s website was made.

Earlier, Ajara had informed the court that the matter was fixed for sentencing of Oye, having not taken any step to purge himself of the contempt of court.

However, Justice Madugu could not proceed with the sentencing due to a motion filed by Oye’s lawyer, Victor Agunzi, which he served on Ajara in court.

Agunzi told the court that Oye has filed a motion for stay of the appeal court judgment, as well as entered an appeal at the Supreme Court.

“What we filed at the Court of Appeal is a motion for stay of judgment of June 28, and what we filed here in this court is that in view of the appeal at the Supreme Court, and motion for stay, my lord should stay further proceedings” Oye’s lawyer submitted.

Consequently, Justice Madugu adjourned to October 28, for hearing of the motion.