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Soludo not threatened by change in APGA leadership, says Okorie

By Leo Sobechi, Abuja
18 April 2022   |   3:04 am
Founding chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Chekwas Okorie, has said the change in leadership of APGA at this point in time would not affect Chukwuma Soludo’s position as governor of Anambra State.

Okorie

Founding chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Chekwas Okorie, has said the change in leadership of APGA at this point in time would not affect Chukwuma Soludo’s position as governor of Anambra State.

Okorie, who is now a chieftain of governing All Progressives Congress (APC), noted that the recent Appeal Court ruling and other judicial pronouncements by the country’s apex court affirms the stipulations of sections 308 and 188 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Okorie, who was also the founding chairman of United Progressive Party (UPP) that was deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), spoke to The Guardian on the penultimate Thursday’s judgment by Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which upheld the Owerri convention that produced Edozie Njokue as national chairman of APGA.

Justice Mohammed, had ruled on the suit No. FHC/BAU/CS/10/2020, between Chief Edozie Njoku, Hamman Ghide, Adamu and APGA (plaintiffs) against INEC and Dr. Victor Ike Oye (respondents), in which the plaintiffs were seeking an order of mandamus compelling INEC to recognise them as the authentic leadership of APGA.

While striking out the case of mandamus, the court declared that only APGA, through its National Legal Adviser, Hamman Buba Ghide, who was duly elected alongside Njoku and others at the Owerri Convention of May 31, 2019, can file for mandamus on behalf of APGA.

“A member claiming leadership position in a political party would always be regarded as an internal affair of a political party and, therefore, not justiciable,” the court asserted.

Njoku, who addressed a press conference in Abuja, disclosed that after the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), the Legal Adviser will approach the court as noted by Justice Mohammed, even as he assured that the interest of APGA would override all personal interests to rebuild the party.

Although the Oye faction says they would appeal the Abuja Federal High Court ruling, APGA faithful are worried that the recognition of the Owerri convention and the fact that the court noted Njoku and his NWC were given certificates of return could endanger Governor Soludo’s election.

But, Okorie maintained that since Soludo has been sworn in as governor, he can no longer be sued, contending that the only way to remove the Anambra State governor is by way of impeachment or incapacitation as contained in Section 188 of the constitution.

“While APGA settles its internal dispute, the court pronouncement affirming the Owerri convention that produced Njoku and other members of the NWC has nothing to do with whether the Njoku faction presented a rival governorship candidate or not,” Okorie stated.

Checks by The Guardian revealed that shortly after the Federal High Court ruling, many aspirants started purchasing expression of interest and nomination forms for various elective positions from the Njoku faction.

Administrative secretary of the party under Njoku’s leadership, Benedict Okoro, said the party will adjust the timetable of its activities to accommodate more aspirants to purchase the forms before the INEC deadline.

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