Supreme Court ruling on APGA leadership has been obeyed, says INEC
…warns against misinformation
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed posters and statements being circulated by an unknown group accusing the Commission of refusing to obey the Supreme Court’s judgement recognizing one Chief Edozie Njoku as the authentic National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
In a statement on Tuesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, described the posters and statements as “cheap blackmail aimed at hoodwinking those not abreast of the details of the case.”
Okoye clarified that the suit in question began at the Jigawa State High Court and was initiated by one Alhaji Rabiu Garba Aliyu against Chief Jude Okeke and three others. Chief Edozie Njoku was not a party to the suit.
“On appeal, the Court of Appeal described the suit as an abuse of court process. ‘Consequently, the entire proceedings of the Jigawa State High Court in suit No. JDU/022/2021, delivered by Musa Ubale J on 30th June 2021 and the judgement delivered thereon are accordingly set aside.’ The Supreme Court in its judgement of 14th October 2021 affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal,” he said.
Okoye added that on January 27th, 2023, Chief Edozie Njoku, who was never a party to any of the suits and processes filed in the various courts, approached the Supreme Court as an interested person/applicant and filed a Motion on Notice seeking for an order of the court to correct “typographical errors and accidental slip” in the lead judgement of the Supreme Court. The correction did not, however, affect the substance of the suit and the orders made by the apex court.
“The Commission is a law-abiding institution and will continue to give effect to the decisions, judgements and orders of the various courts in Nigeria. The courts are not helpless when they make orders, deliver judgements and make pronouncements.
“They also have the capacity to punish for disobedience of their orders and judgements in committal proceedings. This is the process open to law-abiding citizens, groups and organizations rather than resorting to cheap blackmail and using amorphous groups to malign the Commission and its officials,” Okoye stated.
