The Supreme Court has upheld the appeal by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), officially recognizing Sly Ezeokenwa as the party’s legitimate National Chairman.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, the court also imposed a N20 million fine on Edozie Njoku for filing a frivolous lawsuit at the FCT High Court in Bwari.
This decision follows a recent ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had restrained Njoku from presenting himself as the national chairman of APGA.
Justice James Omotosho, in his judgment, emphasized that there was no valid court order or judgment, including from the Supreme Court, that recognized Njoku as the rightful APGA national chairman.
The legal battle stemmed from a suit filed by APGA and Sly Ezeokenwa in July 2024, challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for recognizing the Njoku-led leadership of the party on its official website. Ezeokenwa, a legal practitioner, and his executive team were removed from the INEC registry and replaced by Njoku’s leadership, prompting the suit.
In his judgment, Justice Omotosho criticized INEC for recognizing Njoku’s faction, stating that there was no legal basis for their decision. The judge pointed out that the Supreme Court’s ruling had clearly determined who the legitimate national chairman of APGA was, reaffirming that it was not Edozie Njoku.
He further clarified that, following the expiration of Chief Victor Oye’s tenure in 2023, a national convention held on May 31, 2023, in Awka, Anambra State, produced Ezeokenwa and other executives as the new leadership of the party. INEC had monitored the convention and issued a report recognizing them, which the court upheld.
Justice Omotosho also referenced the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling in the case between Njoku and Oye, which affirmed the internal nature of party leadership disputes, stating that the court had not altered its position that the party’s internal affairs, including the appointment of the national chairman, were non-justiciable.
The court’s ruling underscores the legal recognition of Ezeokenwa and his team as the legitimate APGA national executive, ordering that INEC restore their names on its official registry.
Justice Omotosho concluded by stating that there was no valid court order recognizing Njoku as the APGA chairman, questioning how INEC could have acted based on a non-existent court order.
