An Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka, yesterday, declared the convention of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, held in Awka on April 8, 2013 as valid, insisting that it met the constitutional requirements of the party and the Electoral Act.
Trial judge, Justice Hope Ozor, in his judgment in the suit by Mr. Mac Joe Onwudinjo, a chieftain of APGA, who prayed the court to nullify the convention on the ground that he was denied the opportunity to contest for a position, dismissed the suit for lack of merit.
The court held that based on the fact that the convention met the requirements of APGA constitution and that Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, supervised the convention, the Awka exercise was a completed act.
The plaintiff, Onwudinjo, was not in court, yesterday, but another chieftain of the party and the Commissioner for Information, Anambra State, Chief Joe Uzodike, said that the party will make efforts to reach out tohim with a view to looking into his grievances.
“It is true that we won, but we want all those still opposed to the new leadership of APGA to join hands with the team to move the party forward,” Uzodike said.
He said that the judgment was a clear indication that the judiciary remained the same, adding that what the Court of Appeal in Enugu, did was to make consequential orders, which did not nullify the judgment of the Enugu State High Court that nullified the APGA convention held in 2010 in Awka.
Also speaking after the judgment, Chief Maxi Okwu, whose election was validated by the court, said with the judgment, his executive would continue the process of repositioning APGA in the country.
Speaking on the import of yesterday’s judgment, Okwu said: “ What it means is that we have been confirmed by judicial order as validly elected officers of APGA.
“The INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega said on a national television on the crisis in APGA that they were following the courts. He said that if there is a change, INEC shall change. I believe Jega is a honourable man and he will now change.
“Speaking as a lawyer, the judgment of the Chief Judge of Enugu State on February 8, this year is a final judgment and still stands. No superior court has upturned it and until it is upturned by the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court, it is a valid judgment.
“What happened is that at the Court of Appeal, Enugu, Chief Victor Umeh, the respondent filed for a stay of execution of that judgment. If you read it, there were five reliefs granted by the Enugu State High Court Judge. Of the five, the Court of Appeal said it cannot touch four, either they were declaratory, which is sound law or they had been overtaken by events.”
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