APGA: Court Restrains Okeke From holding July 1 Congress
A State High Court sitting in Orerokpe, Delta State has ordered an interim injunction restraining Jude Okeke led faction of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) from conducting a primary election for the party.
The injunction followed an ex parte motion filed by Chief Anthony Eboka and APGA as plaintiffs In Suit no. HOR/25/2021 had prayed the court to order that the defendants be restrained from parading themselves as leaders of APGA and performing at function in that capacity.
Respondents in the suit were Chief Jude Okeke(self styled acting national Chairman), Alhaji Kabiru Yusuf (self styled national secretary) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The plaintiffs also prayed that the order that the name produced from whatsoever primary the first and second respondents submit to the third respondent should not accepted by it be granted.
“An Order of interim injunction restraining the 1 and 2 Defendants/Respondents from parading themselves and continuing to hold themselves out as Officers of APGA either as members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of APGA or in any other capacity.
“Including the conduct of any Primary election for the purpose of selecting/nominating/electing APGA Candidate for any Elective office under the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended in any State of Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed in this suit.
“An Order of interim injunction restraining the 1 and 2 Defendants/Respondents from submitting the name of any person or persons allegedly selected/nominated by them as the purported candidate of APGA
The presiding Judge, Justice Joe Egwu granted the order in favour of the plaintiffs.
“I have carefully perused and painstakingly considered the reliefs sought in the Motion Exparte, the supporting affidavit, the affidavit of extreme urgency and the written address.
“I am of the view that the situation at hand is such that the court is constrained to exercise its discretion in favour of the Applicants.
“Consequently, the Motion Exparte dated and filed 21/6/2021 1s hereby ordered as prayed
“The return date for the hearing of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction Is fixed for Thursday the 1/7/2021,” the order said.
Recall that Okeke on June 15 declared himself as acting national chairman of APGA after a purported NEC meeting in Abuja.
Okeke had in his maiden media briefing announced the suspension of Dr Victor Oye, National Chairman of the party alongside six other officers and Edozie Njoku, a factional chairman.
He said the primary election which was scheduled for June 23 would no longer hold as scheduled and fixed it for July.1.
Recall that APGA primary election was held on June 23 where Prof. Chukwuma Soludo emerged the party’s candidate in the Nov. 6 election.
