APGA Leadership Tussle: I Accept Supreme Court Verdict–Njoku

The sacked national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku, yesterday said he had resolved to abide by the Supreme Court judgment which removed him from office.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 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.
(NAN)