APGA leadership judgment: Edozie Njoku not listed as party – Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has cleared the air on the raging controversies and misconception of its judgment on the leadership crisis of the All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA.
The apex court made the clarification in a statement by its Director of Press and Information Dr Festus Akande on Thursday in Abuja.
Akande in the statement tilled: Clarification on the misconception of Supreme Court judgment on APGA leadership crisis urged the public to disregard any other judgment with Edozie Njoku as a party.
The Apex Court said that the judgment delivered on October 14, 2021 was between one Chief Jude Okeke and APGA with three other respondents while one Chief Edozie Njoku was never made a party in the proceedings and judgment.
He said that one Chief Edozie Njoku who sought to be joined in the appeal was not joined and therefore not a party to the final judgment.
The statement warned that any judgment or order containing parties different from the parties on record did not emanate from the Supreme Court and should therefore be disregarded.
The statement read in part “Our attention has been drawn to the misconception being peddled by some members of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) regarding the judgment of the Supreme Court in Appeal Number: SC/CV/687/2021: Chief Jude Okeke Versus ALL PROGRESSIVES GRAND ALLIANCE (APGA) & 3 ORS, delivered on 14th October, 2021, which is causing confusion within the party fold; and by extension, the public space.
“To keep the records straight, we wish to state that the appeal in respect of party leadership of APGA, which was filed in the Supreme Court against the judgment of Court of Appeal, Kano Division by Chief Jude Okeke, as SC/CV/686/2021 and SC/CV/687/2021, contained the following parties: Chief Jude Okeke (Appellant) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Ike Oye; Alhaji Rabiu Garba Aliu; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 4th respondents respectfully.
“It is worthy of note that the appeal arose from a Primary Election conducted by the party on the 31st day of May, 2019 at Owerri, Imo State, in which the 3rd Respondent (Rabiu Garba Aliu) was elected Deputy National Chairman (North).
“The said 3rd respondent (Alhaji Rabiu Garba Aliyu), by Originating Summons, commenced an action claiming among other reliefs, to be automatically recognized as the Chairman of the Party on the ground that the Chairman who was then suspended had been replaced by someone other than him..
“The trial Court dismissed the suit and confirmed Chief Jude Okeke as the Party’s Chairman.
“However, the 3rd respondent, unsatisfied with the judgment, appealed to the Court of Appeal, Kano Judicial Division.
“At that point, the 1st and 2nd respondents (APGA and Victor Ike Oye) sought for and were granted leave to be joined as interested parties at the Court of Appeal.
“However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction as all the issues in contention took place in Imo State and not Jigawa State
