The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has restored Barrister Sylvester Ezeokenwa as the National Chairman of the party.
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Mr Sam Olumekun, said this on Tuesday night at the end of the INEC management meeting.
Daily Trust reports that the Supreme Court on November 27 affirmed Ezeokenwa as the authentic national chairman of APGA.
In a unanimous judgment in Abuja, a five-member panel led by Stephen Adah, ruled that Chief Edozie Njoku was wrong for parading himself as APGA national chairman.
Olumekun said the commission had been served with the judgement of the Supreme Court with Appeal No. SC/CV/824/2024 APGA & ANOR vs OYE & ORS, delivered on 27th November 2024 recognising Barrister Sylvester Ezeokenwa as the Chairman of the APGA.
“In compliance with the judgement of the apex court, the Commission has restored Barr. Ezeokenwa as the Chairman of APGA and restored his name on our website accordingly,” Olumekun said.
Our correspondent also reports that since 2023, Ezeokenwa and Njoku had been locked in a leadership tussle, leading to multiple litigation and conflicting court rulings.
The development had also led to the withdrawal of recognition of Ezeokenwa by INEC and related with Njoku after a court order in July this year.
However, Justice Adah ruled that the earlier judgment on the appeal marked SC/CV/687/2021 delivered on October 14, 2021 and corrected on March 24, 2024 did not confer any enforceable rights on Njoku.
The apex court awarded N20m for each of the three appeals against two members of the Njoku faction (who are listed as 1st and 2nd respondents).
Daily Trust reports that Ezeokenwa was elected APGA national chairman in May 2023 at an elective convention, held in Awka, Anambra State to succeed Dr. Victor Ike Oye, who himself battles strings of litigations, including those that dated to days of his predecessor, Senator Victor Umeh.
Njoku had argued that a convention that was held in Owerri, Imo State capital, produced him as APGA’s national chair.