APGA crisis: Okorie slams Justice Omotosho for indicting INEC over leadership dispute
On Tuesday, November 26, Chief Chekwas Okorie, the founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), criticized Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja over his recent ruling concerning the ongoing leadership crisis in the party.
Justice Omotosho made headlines on November 20, 2024, by issuing a bold judgment that indicted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for interfering in the internal affairs of APGA. The judge ordered INEC to withdraw its recognition of Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA and replace him with Mr. Sly Ezeonwuka, a personal assistant to Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State.
Okorie reacted strongly, describing the ruling as “rebellious” and “damning,” and suggested that it amounted to preempting the Supreme Court of Nigeria. His comments came after a protracted legal battle over APGA’s leadership. In March 2023, the Supreme Court had issued a unanimous judgment affirming Chief Edozie Njoku as the legitimate National Chairman of APGA, dismissing any claims of his removal.
Despite the Supreme Court ruling, INEC had been slow to comply, prompting members of the APGA National Working Committee to approach the FCT High Court in Bwari for enforcement of the Supreme Court’s decision. The court had ordered that no further congresses or primaries be held until the matter was resolved. However, in defiance of this order, Chief Victor Oye, a rival faction leader, conducted a convention and elected Mr. Sly Ezeonwuka as National Chairman, leading to further legal actions.
In June 2023, the FCT High Court ruled in favor of Njoku’s leadership, and on November 29, 2023, Justice Magudu convicted INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and Chief Oye for contempt of court, though sentencing was delayed to allow them to purge themselves of contempt.
After a ruling in favor of Njoku from the Court of Appeal in June 2024, INEC finally complied with the Supreme Court’s judgment. However, the dispute continued, with Oye and Ezeonwuka challenging the Court of Appeal’s decision at the Supreme Court.
Okorie accused Justice Omotosho of coercion and intimidation of INEC, urging the Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Yakubu, to resist such pressure. He also revealed that APGA had filed a petition with the National Judicial Council (NJC) while awaiting the final judgment from the Supreme Court, emphasizing that the party would not be intimidated by political forces, including Governor Soludo and his allies.
Okorie’s comments highlight the ongoing tensions and legal battles within APGA as the party seeks resolution over its leadership dispute.
