Edozie Njoku urges INEC to recognise him as APGA national Chairman
Recognition
By Emmanuel Oloniruha
Factional National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognised him as the party national chairman.
Njoku made the appeal at news conference on Tuesday in Abuja in reaction to letter written by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Mary Peter-Odili in clarification on the apex court judgment on party leadership tussle.
Njoku said that the letter form the retired Justice stating that Victor Oye’s name was erroneously written and mentioned as the chairman of the party had vindicated of the accusation that he forged the judgment of the court.
He said that INEC should also see reason with the calcification to recognise him as APGA national chairman.
Njoku also begged the Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra State and other members of the party to intervene to unite the party ahead of 2023 general elections.
“I am begging everybody involved, particularly Victor Oye to sheath his sword, that the game is up.
“I beg the governor of Anambra State to rise to the occasion. If we do not rise to the occasion, we are going run into serious problem in the forthcoming elections, including all the forthcoming elections Anambra state.
“Because that crinkle is going to affect all our other candidates In APGA in tbe state.
“I say by the virtue of his being the Governor of Anambra State, Soludo should rise to the occasion and let this crisis in APGA be buried once and for all.
“Nobody is casing your seat. If you genuinely believe in APGA and you are for the interest of APGA and not any other party, come forward and let us move this party forward.
“A supreme court judgement cannot be shot aside, unless we want to play with 2023 general elections.
“If we take that risk we are going to jeopardize our chances in that election because it is going to be an unlawful exclusion.”
Njoku said that nobody including the party nominated candidates should be afraid of coming together to resolve the issue because no one will be hunted.
“Nobody should be afraid, at least 70 to 73 per cent of all those who got their tickets under the former leadership of 2019 are still the ones who have their tickets.
“All it needs is for those of us who wants to sit down, let us cross “Is and dot the ts” and because we are all APGA.”
He urged Nigerians not to allow themselves to be deceived that he forged any letter or ruling of the country, saying Justice Peter-Odili letter had vindicated him of all accusations and lies.
Njoku had written a letter to Justice Peter-Odili requesting for correction on the name of Oye included in the Supreme Court judgment of Oct. 14, 2021 as APGA national Chairman.
Justice Peter-Odili’s was letter addressed to Njoku dated Nov. 7, was titled RE:REQUEST FOR A CLARIFICATION LETTER AS REGARDS TO THE 9th OF MAY,2022 CORRECTION OF NAME BY YOUR LORDSHIP ON THE SUPREME COURT APPEAL NO:SC/CV/687/2021
She stated that: “I indeed recall your letter dated May 6, 2022 to me as the Presiding Justice of the Panel and the other four Justices which requested for correction of the Oct. 14, 2021,Supreme Court Judgment, wherein the name of Chief Victor Oye was erroneously inserted instead of the name of Chief Edozie Njoku.
“It is to be placed on record that I corrected the mistake by replacing Chief Victor Oye’s name with that of Chief Edozie Njoku on Paragraph 1 of page 13 of the Oct. 14,2021 Judgment.
“The Correction was made having cognizance that on the day of delivery of the judgment being Oct. 14 2021 by a slip of the pen and tongue the name of Chief Victor Oye was brought in.”
Peter-Odili further said that the error was pointed out to her by other members of the Panel who reminded her that Oye was not a party to the Appeal or the proceedings which emanated from the Jigawa High court.
She said that, however in the course of the trajectory of errors, the name of Chief Oye kept recurring in the record of the judgment instead of the right party to the proceeding, Njoku.
She further wrote that the Sept. 1, 2022 press statement released by Dr Festus Akande, Director of Media, Press and Information of the Supreme Court which denied all the CTCs of the amended Judgment issued to Njoku, clearly stemmed from the misconception of the true position.
“By this clarification it is to be noted that Oye was not a party to the proceedings and the proper party for whom the judgment and orders referred is Njoku.”
She expressed confidence that her four other members of the panel of Justices would confirm all that she had stated.