Sunday Ejike – Abuja
Victor Oye, whose election as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) party was on Tuesday affirmed by a Federal High Court in Abuja has said, Edozie Njoku contending the post with him is not a member of the party’s executive at any level.
Oye stated this over the weekend in Abuja, while exchanging views with newsmen on the legal battle between him and Njoku over the leadership of the political party.
While noting that Njoku does not know anything about APGA as he is a stranger in the party, Oyes said, he was sworn in as the National Chairman of APGA on June 6, 2015, in a National Convention of the party held in Awka, Anambra state.
“If anybody told you that there was any convention of the party held outside Awka in Anambra state, is a lie”.
According to Oye, his executive inherited a rented office in Wuse II, Abuja, but at the end of the first tenure of his administration as the National Chairman of APGA, the party moved to its permanent office built on a 4000-square meter land at Katampe in Abuja and added that “Edozie Njoku does not know anything about the National Headquarters of APGA.
He said a five-story zonal headquarters building of the party is nearing completion in Awka, the Anambra state capital.
“Edozie Njoku is not a member of our national executive, not a member of executive of any ward in any part of the country. He is not an officer of the party. How can he claim to be the national chairman?
“The judgement of the Supreme Court he is parading was given on October 14, 2021 and he is talking about in 2023”, he said and added that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was given a 21-day notice of the APGA’s National Convention where he was validly elected as the National Chairman of the party and that Njoku did not send notice to INEC about his purported convention in Owerri.
He said APGA’s national convention held in Awka was peaceful and conducted according to the guidelines of the party and further explained that upon a letter to the Inspector General of Police by the Supreme Court, INEC confirmed that Victor Oye is the authentic national chairman of APGA and that, the name, Edozie Njoku is not in its record.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja had on Tuesday affirmed Victor Oye as the authentic and legitimate national chairman of APGA.
The Court kicked out Edozie Njoku who had been laying claim to the office of the national chairman of the political party.
The trial Judge held that Victor Oye’s led executive committee is the one recognised by law and that, it is the list of candidates of the party by the Oye-led executive that should be recognized by the electoral body.
Justice Omotosho held that by the judgments of the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court, it was clear that Victor Oye is the legitimate national chairman of APGA.
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