The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), under the leadership of its National Chairman Edozie Njoku, has submitted a petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC) regarding a recent judgment issued by Justice James Kolawole Omotosho in the party’s ongoing leadership dispute.
At a press conference in Enugu, APGA’s founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chekwas Okorie, expressed concerns about the Federal High Court ruling handed down on November 20, 2024. The judgment reportedly instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to revoke its recognition of Edozie Njoku as the party’s National Chairman and replace him with Sly Ezeonwuka.
Okorie emphasized that the ruling was issued while a related case remained pending before the Supreme Court. He reminded the public that the Supreme Court had previously delivered a unanimous ruling affirming Njoku as the rightful National Chairman. Despite initial non-compliance, INEC had later recognized Njoku following a court order.
He also referenced a past conviction by Justice Maguda, who found INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu and former APGA factional chairman Victor Oye guilty of contempt of court, although sentencing was delayed to allow them time to purge the contempt.
Okorie criticized Justice Omotosho for issuing the judgment while the Supreme Court was yet to rule on an appeal filed by Victor Oye and Sly Ezeonwuka, accusing the judge of attempting to preempt the Supreme Court’s decision. He called the ruling an overreach and an attempt to undermine the judicial process. “Justice Omotosho, with rebellious audacity, delivered a judgment that is tantamount to preempting the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” Okorie stated, adding that the judge had wrongly condemned INEC for complying with the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling.
Okorie expressed confidence that the NJC, as the body responsible for maintaining judicial ethics, would address their petition. He also urged INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu to resist any external pressure or intimidation.
“APGA has taken the civilized step of submitting the party’s petition to the NJC while patiently awaiting the judgment of the Supreme Court,” Okorie concluded, as the leadership dispute within the party continues to escalate, with stakeholders awaiting further legal developments.
