Sylvester Ezeokenwa, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has commented on recent developments surrounding the leadership of the party, urging unity and reconciliation in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision affirming his position as the rightful leader.
Ezeokenwa, in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, provided clarity on the ongoing legal dispute over APGA’s chairmanship. He highlighted that when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised Edozie Njoku as the party’s national chairman in July 2024, the legal basis of this recognition was immediately questioned.
He pointed out that Njoku was not even a party in the FCT High Court case from which INEC claimed to have derived its authority.
“INEC purported to rely on that judgement to confer the right for him to, of course, bear the insignia of the national chairman of our political party,” Ezeokenwa stated. “We studied that judgment, and we saw that there was nowhere in the judgment where the court pronounced Njoku as national chairman, so we wrote to INEC, and we said, ‘please, can you clarify your position? Tell us the judgement you’re relying on.’”
“And in any event… the tenure in question had elapsed,” he added.
Ezeokenwa explained that following INEC’s refusal to clarify its position, there was no choice but to seek legal intervention through the Federal High Court. The subsequent Supreme Court ruling unequivocally affirmed Ezeokenwa as the legitimate national chairman, putting an end to the ongoing dispute.
Despite the legal victory, Ezeokenwa stressed that the party’s focus should now be on reconciliation. He urged members of the party to come together, noting that the ruling was not a cause for celebration, but rather an opportunity for reflection and unity.
He stressed that the most important thing now is to bring everyone back together, adding that APGA, probably, would soon convene a National Executive Committee meeting to resolve any remaining issues.
On the issue of Edozie Njoku’s continued affiliation with the party, Ezeokenwa stated that if Njoku was genuinely committed to APGA, the first step would be for him to formally join the party.
“From all verifications that we have conducted, he’s not a registered member of the party,” Ezeokenwa pointed out. He also acknowledged that some party members may have been misled by INEC’s actions in July but reaffirmed that the Supreme Court’s ruling had now restored clarity to the situation.
“I’m not holding it against any genuine member of the party who was confused or misled by all these issues. The most important thing is that the Supreme Court has now returned what I call clarity and certainty to APGA,” he added.
Furthermore, the APGA National Chairman introduced the DRIVE agenda as part of a broader vision to revitalise APGA, focusing on enhancing the party’s visibility, amongst other things, and promoting its ideologies over individual personalities.
“What we’re saying is entrust us in the affairs of this country, that we can do better,” he concluded.
The APGA leadership dispute, which also involved former chairman Victor Oye, had previously seen Njoku asserting his position following a convention in Owerri. However, the Supreme Court’s ruling, delivered by a five-member panel, conclusively sided with Ezeokenwa, declaring Njoku’s claims as invalid. Following the ruling, Njoku has pledged to respect the judgment recognising Ezeokenwa as the authentic national chairman of APGA.
Frances Ibiefo
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