TheNewsGuru

Tag: Edozie Njoku

  • Njoku accepts Supreme Court verdict on APGA leadership tussle

    Njoku accepts Supreme Court verdict on APGA leadership tussle

    Chief Edozie Njoku says he has resolved to abide by the Supreme Court judgment which removed him as the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

    The Supreme Court had, on Wednesday, declared Sylvester Ezeokenwa as the national chairman of APGA, this bringing to an end the lingering leadership tussle which had rocked the party for years.

    Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had, in his judgment, restrained Njoku from parading himself as the APGA national chairman.

    Omotosho, while delivering the judgment in a suit filed by APGA and Ezeokenwa, held that there was no valid court judgment that recognised Njoku as the party’s national chairman.

    He held that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) erred by recognising the Njoku-led leadership of the party. Dissatisfied with the verdict, Njoku approached the Supreme Court to set it aside.

    However, at Wednesday’s proceeding, the apex court dismissed the appeal for being frivolous and awarded N20 million for each of the three charges against him.

    Reacting to the judgment at a news conference in Abuja, Njoku said that he believed in the rule of law and the verdict of the court.

    “Everyone who knows me knows I believe in the rule of law and hierarchy. In any establishment, there must be a hierarchy. The hierarchy of the judiciary in Nigeria is the Supreme Court.

    “We in Nigeria must learn that when the Supreme Court speaks, no matter how or what you think, you must obey it.

    “We must be a country of law and order. Things cannot just be turned to suit you because you are uncomfortable. Things cannot just turn to suit Chief Edozie Njoku or Chief Henry Okechukwu or the secretary. We must follow the system,’’ he said.

    Njoku said that as democrats, his removed executive members believed in the unity of Nigeria.

    “We will do everything within our powers to make sure that there is peace in this country called Nigeria.

    “But one thing I promise you is that you can never muffle the voice of the people. The people of Anambra State, in the next election, will speak, and it will be so resounding,’’ he said.

    Njoku said that there would be anarchy in the states and the country if citizens decided to choose the judgments to obey or not to obey.

    “All said and done, the Supreme Court has spoken and I truly believe in the Chief Justice of Nigeria who had made it clear in so many fora that she must bring sanity to the judiciary.

    “I will not and I cannot be a clog in the hog. I cannot and I will not add to the pressure of those who are putting in relentless efforts to make sure that the judiciary can survive a very telling time,’’ he said.

    Njoku commended the Supreme Court and its justices for following the right path in the journey.

    He also commended the people of Anambra for keeping calm and accepting the court judgment in good faith, saying there must be an end to litigation.

    “I’m happy that the Supreme Court said it is an internal democracy of the party. You can do whatever you want on the earth but you cannot change the grassroots.

    “The grassroots will decide who are their leaders. And I promise you that Anambra will speak,’’ Njoku stated.

    He also commended the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, even though his faction of the party had criticised, fought and taken him to court.

  • Supreme Court bars Njoku from parading himself as APGA national chair

    Supreme Court bars Njoku from parading himself as APGA national chair

    The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, restrained Chief Edozie Njoku from parading himself as national chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

    A five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Stephen Adah, affirmed the emergence of Sly Ezeokenwa as the authentic national chairman of APGA.

    The apex court, in two unanimous judgments, held that Njoku was wrongly laying claim to the party’s chairmanship position.

    Justice Adah held that the earlier judgment on the appeal marked: SC/CV/687/2021, delivered on Oct. 14, 2021, which was corrected on March 24, 2023, and on which Njoku purportedly paraded to lay claim to APGA leadership, did not confer on him any enforceable rights.

    The judge, who read the lead judgment, held that in the 2021 judgment, only declaratory reliefs were granted, which were not executory.

    He also held that there was no order or orders in the 2021 judgment to be executed.

    Justice Adah noted that in the earlier judgment, the Supreme Court particularly held that the issue of party’s leadership or who becomes the chairman of a political party was internal affairs of a political party and was not justiciable.

    He further held that it was wrong for Njoku to have gone before the lower court to seek to enforce a judgment that had nothing to be enforced as no executory reliefs were granted.

    Justice Adah, who urged judges of the lower courts to be cautious, held that the judges of the trial court and the Court of Appeal, who declared Njoku chairman of APGA were wrong to have heard the suit by Njoku.

    He proceeded to set aside the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on June 28, 2024, affirming the judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which had declared Njoku chairman of APGA.

    The judgment in both appeals were applied to the third appeal, relating to the same issue of APGA leadership.

    The apex court, therefore, awarded N20 million on each appeal against two members of Njoku faction (who are listed as 1st and 2nd respondents), bringing the total cost awarded in the three appeals to N60 million.

    The three appeals were marked: SC/CV/824/2024, APGA  & another vs. Chief Victor Ike Oye & others; SC/CV/825/2024, Chief Victor Oye vs. Otunba Kamaru Lateef Ogidan & 2 others, and Chief Victor Ike Oye vs. Otunba Kamaru Lateef Ogidan & 2 others.

    Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court in Abuja had, on Nov. 21, also restarted Njoku from parading himself as national chairman of APGA.

    Reacting to the judgments, Ezeokenwa commended the judiciary for effectively putting an end to the leadership dispute in the party and affirming him and the Chairman.

    He said that with its erudite judgments, given on Wednesday, the court had once again, proved that “it is indeed, the hope of the common man.”

    “We should not always be saying bad things against the judiciary. Today, I am very proud of our judiciary as the last hope of the common man.

    “Like I have always said, our judiciary will always come through to save our nation when the need arises.

    “That is what it has done today with the erudite judgments delivered today by the Supreme Court concerning the leadership of our party.

    “Like our lead counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN said, what ought not to have taken place was created and has been dragged up to the Supreme Court.

    ‘It is unfortunate. Money has been expended and party’s  structures destabilised just because of someone’s selfish and inordinate ambition.

    “The judgments today have affirmed the convention that brought us to office and that we are in charge of the running of the party’s affairs.

    “So, there is no longer speculation or doubt about the actual leadership of APGA. By the judgments, I, Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa has been affirmed as the Chairman of APGA,” he said.

  • Drama as police arrest APGA factional chair in court premises

    Drama as police arrest APGA factional chair in court premises

    There was mild drama, on Monday, at the premises of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Bwari, Abuja, as factional Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku, was arrested by the Nigerian police.

    The arrest followed a complaint by the prosecution lawyer, CSP Ezekiel Rinamsomte, that Njoku, prior to the commencement of the criminal case filed against him, had verbally threatened him as counsel in the matter.

    He told Justice Mohammed Madugu shortly after the case was about to be adjourned. He said the complaint had already been lodged at the Bwari Divisional Police Station.

    “My lord, this morning when I came to the court, he (Njoku) saw me, waved his hand at me and said prosecutor how are you and we shook hands.

    “I did not even recognise him because there is nothing personal between me and him.

    “The next thing this man started telling me was that he was going to send calamity upon calamities upon my family; that members of my family will be dying and that he would deal with me.

    “I asked him what have I done, he said he was a very dangerous man. He said he was the reason why Director, Litigation of Supreme Court, Mr Dikko, was removed and dismissed.

    “That he was going to shake the  Nigerian Police Force; that he was the reason why the daughter of (Onyechi) Ikpeazu, SAN, died; that he was going to deal with everybody in this case.

    “And I said does it mean that this man is above the law or what is the problem,” the lawyer said.

    Rinamsomte said he decided to inform the judge so that the court could take judicial notice of what transpired between him and Njoku earlier in the morning.

    Justice Madugu, who hinted that he had already closed proceeding on the suit, however asked Njoku, who was standing in the dock with his co-defendant, on what happened.

    Responding, the APGA factional chairman admitted exchanging pleasantries with Rinamsomte earlier in the day. But he denied the allegations that he threatened the prosecutor.

    “My lord, I only said that anybody in this case, who lied against me to go to jail or send anyone to prison by telling lie, calamity will befall that person,” he said.

    Njoku said he neither mentioned anything about late Ikpeazu’s daughter nor made any such comments attributed to him by the prosecutor.

    The judge, then, jokingly said Rinamsomte should have avoided Njoku who he knew was standing trial.

    “You should have greeted him from afar,” he said.

    At the commencement of trial, the prosecutor sought to withdraw the amended charge filed against Njoku and his co-defendant, Chukwuemeka Nwoga.

    And after it was not opposed by the defence counsel, Panam Ntui, Justice Madugu, granted the prayer, and the 1st prosecution witness, Godwin Odu, the Deputy National Secretary of APGA, gave his testimony.

    The judge, consequently, adjourned the matter until April 27 for trial continuation after Ntui cross-examined the PW1.

    Njoku, in an interview with newsmen shortly after the proceeding, said Rinamsomte’s allegations against him was baseless.

    “The prosecutor made a terrible claim against me and he has already brought policemen to arrest me. That is their Option B.

    “That I said I killed Onyechi Ikpeazu’s daughter; that I said he will die, that I said I am a very dangerous man; that he has gone and brought the police to arrest me and face charges,” he said.

    He said “it looks as if their initial case against him is dead” and they were looking for another way to delay justice.

    Njoku was later released at the police station after Rinamsomte withdrew the case.

    Njoku and Nwoga were, on Nov. 28, 2022, arraigned on a 14-count criminal charge bordering on forgery, an offence which attracts imprisonment of maximum of 14 years jail term if found guilty.

    The Inspector General (I-G) of Police had accused them of forging a Supreme Court judgment and the letter-head paper of retired Justice Mary Peter-Odili.

    In the charge marked: CR/12/2022 and dated October 21, the defendants were accused of conspiring with others to forge a judgment of the Supreme Court.

    The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the entire 14-count charge.

    They were remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre and granted bail on Nov. 30, 2022.

  • APGA crisis: Rtd Supreme Court Justice, Odili to testify against Njoku today

    APGA crisis: Rtd Supreme Court Justice, Odili to testify against Njoku today

    Retired Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili, will today testify in the trial of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Edozie Njoku, for allegedly forging an apex court judgment.

    Justice Odili, who delivered the lead judgment on the prolonged APGA crisis on October 14, 2021, was added as a witness in an amended charge dated January 6, 2023.

    Njoku and the party’s National Youth Leader, Chuks Nwoga, are to appear at the Federal Capital Territory Court 40, Bwari on Tuesday (today), where they were earlier arraigned on January 4.

    This was according to a statement made available to The PUNCH on Monday by APGA Administrative Secretary, Chinedum Okoro.

    It would be recalled that shortly after the Supreme Court delivered judgment on the appeal filed by Jude Okeke challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal, Kano, which set aside the Jigawa State High Court’s decision that recognised him (Okeke) as acting national chairman, Njoku pointed out the error in the apex court judgment of October 14, 2021.

    APGA crisis: Rtd Supreme Court Justice, Odili to testify against Njoku today

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Justice Mohammed Magudu had ordered the arrest of Njoku following his failure to appear in court for his arraignment

    The Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, had filed a 14-count charge against the duo for their alleged involvement in the crime.

    In an oral request, Rimamsomte Ezekiel, the prosecuting lawyer, urged the court to order Messrs Njoku and Nwoga’s arrest.

    Mr Ezekiel told the court that the defendants were served with the charge and hearing notice of Monday’s sitting.

    In his ruling, the judge ordered the police to arrest the fleeing defendants and produce them in court on 28 November (last year) for arraignment.

  • APGA runs to security for safety as party crisis deepens

    The deepening crisis within the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has gone gone deeper following Monday’s plea to security agencies to come to their aid.

    In a communiqué issued at the eapgand of a meeting of its National Working Committee, the party called on security agencies to arrest, investigate and prosecute its former national chairman and factional presidential candidate, Chief Chekwas Okorie and factional Chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku, in order to save the nation’s fledgling democracy.

    APGA accused both Okorie and Njoku of alleged illegal and criminal conducts.

    It said the security agencies should treat all issues pertaining to the unlawful activities of Chief Edozie Njoku, Chief Chekwas Okorie and their co-travellers with dispatch.

    Related Story: 

    The communiqué was signed by all the members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC)

    APGA stated that the meeting took critical look at very important issues and other sundry matters affecting the party as next year’s general elections approach.

    It said the NWC reviewed the activities leading to the nomination of its candidates across various states of the federation, particularly as it relates to the conduct of its ward congresses and primary elections nationwide.

    The NWC also unanimously expressed its appreciation and vote of confidence in the national chairman Victor Oye and commended him on the manner he piloted the activities leading to the successful congresses and primary of APGA nationwide.

    “While calling on relevant security agencies to swing into action forthwith by investigating, arresting and prosecuting the duo, the NWC urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to continue to show its commitment, dedication and professionalism in defence of our electoral process.”

    Reacting, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Tex Okechukwu, said APGA has only one National Chairman and it is Victor Oye.

    Okechukwu said Oye was elected with other members of the NWC in a convention held on May 31 2019 supervised by INEC and which had in attendance the former governor of Anambra state, Willie Obiano, and 36 state chairmen.

    But in a swift response, Okorie dismissed the call for his arrest, saying none of the individuals were around when he founded APGA in 2002.

    To him, “The call for my arrest is not only gratuitous, it is a preposterous demand that either lacks understanding of issues being canvassed or a deliberate attempt to obfuscate a legitimate call for a just cause. Leadership is not a toga you wear only when it’s comfortable or serves your pecuniary interests.

    “I founded APGA in 2002. None of these individuals were there. When brigands were sponsored to destroy APGA, and billions of Naira spent to fight me, I chose to step aside so as not to destroy a vision that encapsulates the political aspirations of Ndigbo.

    “I voluntarily surrendered the certificate of our great party to INEC in 2012. INEC wrote to me in 2009 to reaffirm my chairmanship of APGA. These are facts that can be checked at the relevant agencies. It is also in my book, ‘APGA and the Igbo Question.’

    “A delegation was led to my home to apologise and plead with me to return to the party I founded by Chief Edozie Njoku and the NWC. I really had no option but to accept and I re-registered as a member.

    “My activism and political struggles of the past 46 years have been about Ndigbo; their welfare in the greater Nigeria and a better country where we all exist and progress as a nation.

    “People who are beneficiaries of fraudulent practices are panicked because the truth has come out. I have long expected them to throw everything they have at me. Nigeria’s security agencies are well aware of my residences.”

    TheNewsGuru can report that many members of the party are not finding the infighting funny, given the fact that their party is looking to make headways and hold on to its former stronghold of the South Eastern part of Nigeria.

  • Anambra guber: Confusion in APGA as another candidate, Edozie Njoku emerges flagbearer after Soludo

    Anambra guber: Confusion in APGA as another candidate, Edozie Njoku emerges flagbearer after Soludo

    from Chuks Collins, Awka

    A factional National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku has been elected governorship flagbearer of the party in the forthcoming Nov 6,2021 election in Anambra state.

    Chief Njoku who commended the very peaceful disposition of the party delegates all through the process thanked them for believing in him.

    He reiterated that “the party had to move swiftly immediately the court order which had prevented the party primary from holding before now elapsed yesterday”.

    Flanked by other bigwigs of the party including the National Youth Leader -Chuks Nwoga and the Anambra state chairman of the faction -Chief Freedom Henry Okwuchukwu said his group carefully complied with all the electoral guidelines as enunciated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and it was well acknowledged by the Commission.

    He reminded the delegates who thronged the Finotel Suites, venue of the event that their efforts was to reposition and strengthen the party. He lamented that things had been left in decadence for too long.

    Taken up on the fears of members over the festering crisis within the party leadership, and the possibility that it could hamper its fortunes in the coming Nov 6 Anambra governorship election, but Chief Njoku allayed everyone’s fears and apprehensions. He pointed out that APGA has challenges, but that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has even bigger challenges, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenges are multifarious.

    On the Jude Okeke factor, who was claiming leadership of a third faction of the party, the new flagbearer said he “never know or hear about Jude Okeke, he only emerged June 15,2021 from nowhere.

    “And if he emerged June 15, he need to give INEC 21 days statutory notice, and which is not possible. His emergence was all because the right things were not done by the party.

    He therefore assured that soon all the disagreement would be sorted out and go ahead to win the coming Nov 6,2021 governorship election.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Prof. Chukwuma Soludo had last week emerged the party’s flagbearer.

    Soludo scored a total of 740 votes out of 792 valid votes cast by delegates.

    Declaring the results of the exercise, Samson Olalere, the Returning Officer said Soludo fulfilled the provisions of Electoral Act and APGA guidelines.