Leadership Tussle: Edozie Njoku Not APGA National Chairman – Supreme Court

By Our correspondent

The Supreme Court has clarified that Edozie Njoku is not the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), potentially ending the party’s lingering leadership crisis.

According to a letter from the Supreme Court, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, stated that the court’s ruling on March 24, 2023, did not recognize Njoku as national chairman.

The letter referenced the court’s decision on October 14, 2021, which affirmed the Court of Appeal’s judgment that the party’s internal affairs are not justiciable.

Sly Ezeokenwa, APGA’s embattled national chairman, revealed the Supreme Court’s clarification at a press conference on August 28, 2024.

He explained that the court’s response was prompted by a letter from Njoku’s counsel seeking recognition as national chairman.

Ezeokenwa noted that the Supreme Court’s position contradicts a recent FCT High Court judgment obtained by Njoku and his lawyers without disclosing the Supreme Court’s earlier clarification.

The Supreme Court’s letter, dated June 6, 2023, stated: “The ruling of the Court in suit SC/CV/687/2021 dated 24th March, 2023, did not alter the substance of the judgment delivered on 14th day of October, 2021… The Court could not have made any consequential Order recognizing Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA.”

Ezeokenwa further stated that Njoku and his lawyers concealed this information when approaching the FCT High Court, resulting in a judgment contrary to the Supreme Court’s position.

Ezeokenwa’s press statement read in part,” THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE SUPREME COURT ON THE CORRECTION OF THE ACCIDENTAL SLIP AS TO WHETHER INEC CHAIRMAN DISOBEYED THE SUPREME COURT IN NOT RECOGNISING EDOZIE NJOKU AS APGA NATIONAL CHAIRMAN.

Just recently, we received a Certified True Copy of a letter where the immediate past Hon Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwola, GCON, on the 6th of June, 2023 notified counsel to Chief Edozie Njoku that the Supreme Court in its Ruling of 24/3/2023 did not recognize Chief Edozie Njoku as APGA National Chairman. The said letter by the Supreme Court read as follows:
“I have been directed by Hon.,the Chief Justice of Nigeria ,Hon.Justice OLUKAYODE ARIWOOLA ,GCON, to refer to your captioned letter with Ref.No./APGA/J/INEC/1.1/23 dated 15th day of May,2023 and to respond to you as follows;
That the ruling of the Court in suit SC/CV/687/2021 dated 24th March,2023 did not alter the substance of the judgment delivered on 14th day of October,2021 affirming the Judgment of the Court of Appeal which set aside the Judgment of the High Court of Jigawa and held that who should be the Acting National Chairman of the party is within the confines of the internal affairs of the party which is not justiciable.
The Court could not have made any consequential Order recognizing Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA.
Since no Order to that effect was made by the Court the National Chairman of INEC did not disobey any.
This is the position officially taken by the Supreme Court in respect of the much talked about correction of 24/3/2023 by Edozie Njoku and his minions. Sadly, it has become apparent that despite receiving this all important nay crucial clarification from the Supreme Court, Edozie Njoku and his lawyers fraudulently concealed this information when they approached the innocent Judge of the FCT High court to procure another judgment that runs contrary to the Supreme Court’s official position.

One is therefore at loss how a Judgment that the Supreme Court affirmed in favour of Chief Victor Oye could have by any stretch of imagination give rise to an enforceable right in favour of Edozie Njoku. This would only possibly pass as judicial abracadabra