Judge Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed the petition filed before the court on Tuesday by Chekwas Okorie and other individuals allegedly nominated by Edozie Njoku as All Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA) candidates.
In his verdict, the presiding judge stated that the case is a blatant abuse of the Court process and an intentional attempt to deceive the court by relying on an incorrect reading of the Supreme Court decision.
Remember that Okorie and a group of people claimed to be the legitimately nominated APGA Presidential and National Assembly candidates, as reportedly submitted to INEC by one Edozie Njoku as APGA’s National Chairman.
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The Plaintiffs in FHC/ABJ/CS/1750/2022: Chief Chekwas Okorie & 2 Ors v Independent National Electoral Commission & 3 Ors claimed that following a corrected Supreme Court judgment that recognized Edozie Njoku as National Chairman of APGA, it was the said Njoku who was legally required to submit the list of APGA candidates.
As a result, they petitioned the Federal High Court for an Order of Mandatory Injunction ordering INEC to publicize their identities as APGA candidates and/or issue them with Certificates of Return in positions won by APGA.
While delivering judgment, the learned Judge heaped scorn on the Plaintiffs’ Counsel for attempting to deceive not only the Honourable Court but also the whole public by misrepresenting the decision of the Supreme Court.
The Court pondered how any sensible person would understand the Supreme Court’s rectification of an unintentional slip in its ruling of 24/3/2023 to suggest that the Supreme Court affirmed Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA.
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The Court stressed that lawyers, as Ministers in the Temple of Justice, must always support the truth and prevent any behavior that could bring the Judiciary and the Supreme Court into disrepute.
Judge Omotosho also declared unambiguously that the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Kano Division, including the determination that Chief Victor Oye remains the National Chairman of APGA, in its judgment of 14/10/2021.
The Court also stated that in another judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, Chief Victor Oye was reaffirmed as the National Chairman of the APGA.
The Federal Court concluded that the Supreme Court’s binding judgments, as well as the Court of Appeal’s Kano and Abuja Divisions, leave no doubt that the National Working Committee of APGA, led by Chief Victor Oye, has the authority to conduct primaries and submit the list of candidates who emerge from them to INEC as APGA candidates.
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The Court consequently rejected the complaint of Chekwas Okorie and others as without merit and assessed punitive costs against the Plaintiffs for wasting the Court’s valuable time in instituting the frivolous suit.
In his reaction to the court judgement, APGA National Chairman Victor Ikechukwu Oye stated that the decision justified his earlier position on the correct reading of the Supreme Court order.
He professed complete faith in the court as the last chance of the common man.
He asked APGA supporters to keep praying for the Party as it continues to deliver leadership.
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