Supreme Court affirms Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman, fines Njoku N20 million
On Wednesday, November 27, the Supreme Court of Nigeria upheld the appeal of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and confirmed Sly Ezeokenwa as the rightful national chairman of the party. The court also imposed a N20 million fine on Edozie Njoku for filing a frivolous suit at the FCT High Court in Bwari.
The ruling followed a recent decision by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which barred Njoku from claiming the title of national chairman. Justice James Omotosho, in his judgment, emphasized that there was no valid court order, including from the Supreme Court, that recognized Njoku as the APGA national chairman.
The case began when APGA, led by Sylvester Ezeokenwa, filed a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Edozie Njoku, after INEC mistakenly replaced Ezeokenwa and his executive with the Njoku-led leadership on its website. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/966/2024, challenged INEC’s actions, and Ezeokenwa and his team argued that their election was legitimate and should be recognized.
Justice Omotosho ruled that INEC had acted incorrectly by recognizing Njoku’s leadership. He stated that there was no legal basis for INEC’s decision, as the Supreme Court had already made it clear who the valid national chairman was. The court affirmed that Ezeokenwa’s election as national chairman, following a national convention in May 2023, was valid and in line with APGA’s internal processes.
The judgment also referenced a previous Supreme Court ruling from March 2023, which had settled the issue of APGA’s leadership, confirming that the decision on who leads the party rests within its internal affairs and is not subject to judicial intervention. The court further criticized the actions of INEC for acting on an alleged court order that did not exist.
In conclusion, the court ordered INEC to restore the names of Ezeokenwa and his executive officers as the rightful national leaders of APGA, reaffirming the Supreme Court’s decision on the party’s leadership.
