A’Court Judgment: APGA Praises Judiciary for Upholding Justice

•Move to oust Soludo as APGA candidate a distraction, says Umeh

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has praised the judiciary for standing firm in defence of the country’s constitution and it’s statutes over its judgment on the party’s leadership crisis, which affected its choice candidate in the governorship election slated for November this year.

Reacting to the unanimous judgment delivered by the three Justices of the Appeal Court, Kano Judicial Division on Tuesday, the National Chairman of the party, Victor Oye, through the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Tex Okechukwu, described the judgment as a watershed in Nigeria’s political life.

Also, a former national chairman of the party, Senator Victor Umeh, has said the legal battle waged against the candidacy of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, was only meant to derail his campaign.

However, speaking on the appellate court judgment, Oye praised the Justices that sat over the case for their courage, uprightness and commitment to the promotion of justice, equity and fairness.

According to him, the judgment had renewed the hope of the people of the country in the judiciary and appealed to the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association to ensure that any judge or lawyer found guilty of professional misconduct should be brought to justice.

He used the opportunity to call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the needful without further delay by publishing the name of Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo as the rightful candidate of APGA for the November 6 Anambra State governorship election.

While congratulating millions of APGA supporters across the country, especially, those in Anambra, Oye thanked them for their steadfastness and support.

He also “thanked the members of the National Working Committee (NWC), NEC and the BOT of APGA for their individual and collective role in stabilising the party while the distraction lasted, and appealed to them not to relent”.

The APGA national chairman urged all those still feuding with the party to embrace common sense and peace and return to the fold, so that, “together, we will win the forthcoming governorship election as one united family.”

The Court of Appeal Kano had dismissed the judgment of the Jigawa Hgh Court on the leadership tussle in APGA, saying it has no territorial or substantive jurisdiction to hear the suit.

According to APGA, the Appeal Court also took judicial notice of the High Court of Awka affirming Oye as national chairman of APGA.

“It affirmed that any suit in any court in Nigeria without Oye being a party as the incumbent National Chairman is a nullity.”

In setting aside the judgment of the Jigawa High Court, the Appeal Court said that all the proceedings at lower court was a nullity.

The party concluded that the appellate court described the appeal by Mr. Jude Okeke and Garba Aliyu as worthless, undeserving of precious judicial time and accordingly, struck it out.

“The Appeal Court further warned lawyers and Judges against desecrating the temple of Justice, adding that lawyers and judges should be guided by the oaths they have taken as officers in the temple of Justice,” it said.

APGA therefore described the Appeal Court ruling as, “A judgment against forum shopping, a judgment against impostors trying to pervert the course of justice and a judgment against judicial officers desecrating the temple of Justice,” adding that, it was a judgment for justice and truth.

Meanwhile, Umeh, a member of the Soludo campaign organisation spoke to journalists in reaction to the judgment and said it was without flaws, and that all along the party had never wavered about the authenticity of Oye’s leadership of the party.

“We were convinced that the High Court judgment of Birnin Kudu in Jigawa State should have been a nullity, but some people including the INEC used it to torment us.

“Not only has the judiciary redeemed itself, it has also shown that it is the hope of the people. Nothing in that judgment (Jigawa State) should be allowed to be alive. The judges of the Court of Appeal were thorough and there was no flaw in it.

“With this judgment, we have now rebounded. Previously, we had said Soludo will contest and it has come to pass. He is our candidate and the person that the party nominated. As the chairman of peace and reconciliation committee in our party, I want to call on Umeoji to come over to the party.

“We supported him when it was necessary to support him, but now the party has resolved that another person should be the candidate, and we are calling on him to come back. We are not seeing him as being defeated, rather, we are calling on him not to strain himself further by going to the Supreme Court.

“We saw the judgment coming, and it was based on sound principles of law. The attempt was simply to derail the momentum of APGA, but the judiciary has intervened. Let’s not lend credence to non existing problems. Oye leadership has been in place all the time, and will always be.”