The Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed Sylvester Ezeokenwa as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), dismissing claims by Edozie Njoku.
The apex court, in its judgment delivered on Wednesday, also imposed a N20 million fine on Njoku for filing what it described as a frivolous suit at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Bwari.
This ruling comes days after the Federal High Court in Abuja prohibited Njoku from parading himself as APGA’s national chairman. Justice James Omotosho had ruled that no valid court judgment or order supported Njoku’s claims, including any decision from the Supreme Court.
In the case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/966/2024, APGA and Ezeokenwa, as plaintiffs, had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Njoku following INEC’s decision on July 9, 2024, to replace Ezeokenwa’s name and those of his executives with the Njoku-led faction on its official records.
Justice Omotosho ruled that INEC erred in recognizing the Njoku-led leadership, stating there was no court order backing its actions. “The Supreme Court’s decision is unambiguous as to who the national chairman should be, and it is certainly not Chief Edozie Njoku,” he said.
He further emphasized that Victor Oye, whose tenure ended in 2023, was recognized by law, and the national convention held on May 31, 2023, in Awka, Anambra State, produced Ezeokenwa as the new national chairman alongside other executives. INEC, having monitored and issued a report on the convention, must now restore Ezeokenwa and his team as the legitimate leaders of APGA.
Justice Omotosho highlighted that the Supreme Court, in its March 24, 2023 judgment on suit number SC/CV/687/2021, reaffirmed that the question of APGA’s acting national chairman was an internal party matter, not subject to judicial intervention. He reiterated that no Supreme Court order recognized Njoku as chairman, questioning the basis for INEC’s actions.
With this judgment, the leadership tussle in APGA appears to be conclusively resolved in favor of Ezeokenwa.
