A Federal High Court on Thursday in Abuja said it will on August 27 entertain a motion challenging the Chief Victor Umeh-led All Progressives Grand Alliance for screening governorship aspirants for the party in Anambra State.
Chief Maxi Okwu led Comrade Ibrahim Carefor, Chief Dickson Ogu, Dr .Gbenga Afeni and Alhaji Abubakar Adamu to file the suit.
Giving ruling in an exparte motion seeking a leave to serve the respondents the motion of notice, Justice A.R. Mohammed held that the prayer of the applicants were not out of place.
Mohammed said: “I have read the motion ex parte seeking a leave to serve the respondents a motion on notice by substituted means.
“I have gone through the affidavit, the written address and the depositions in support of the application.
“With regards to some of the specific depositions, the court is moved to grant a leave for the respondents to be served all the processes by substituted means.
“In the circumstance, the court orders that the motion on notice and all other relevant processes with regards to the suit by paste on the walls or gate of APGA National Headquarters in Abuja.
“The matter is therefore adjourned to August 27 for the mention and hearing of the substantive suit.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission is a respondent in the suit.
Umeh and Alhaji Sani Shinkafi represents themselves and the other members of the National Working Committee of the party.
The applicants have sued for themselves and all other National Officers elected at the National Convention of APGA held on April 8, 2013 in Akwa, Anambra State.
Moving the application, Oba Maduabuchi, counsel to the applicants, argued that the prayer for a substituted service on the respondents was apt in view of the unstable state of affairs at the party’s national secretariat.
Maduabuchi said: “All processes pasted there have always got to the knowledge of the defendants and this one surely will if it is also pasted.
“My Lord, we are urging the court to hear our suit.
“That is why we have come by way of originating summons.
“We want them to come to court and state their own side of the matter.
“We are seeking a speedy approach for the matter to be resolved before the November governorship election in Anambra State.
“We pray My Lord to grant this harmless prayer of ours.”
According to Maduabuchi, owing to problems in the party, there is a standing instruction barring people from entering the national secretariat without a clearance.
Umeh was elected the national chairman of the party in 2006 and his tenure was to have expired by 2010.
On December 1, 2010, the National Executive Committee of the party held a meeting with a resolution which gave life to the National Working Committee.
The extension, which was ratified at the party convention on held February 10, 2011, foreclosed elections into the office of the national chairman and other positions within the block.
According to the counsel, agitation grew over the resolution.
He said: “This, hence, resulted in plethora of court actions, which eventually gave rise to the conduct of a fresh convention on April 8.
“The April convention, which produced Okwu, the first applicant, as national chairman of the party, was challenged at the Federal High Court in Akwa with the court upholding the outcome.”
Furthermore, Maduabuchi said that the Okwu and other plaintiffs have remained in the dark as INEC continued to recognise Umeh as the national chairman of the party.
Section 87 of the Electoral Act has reserved the right for the conduct of governorship primaries to pick gubernatorial candidate strictly on the National Executive Committee of a political party.
Trending
- 577 blind candidates to sit for 2024 UTME, those with five O Level credits to get refund
- JAMB orders arrest of parents found near CBT centres during UTME
- NPA secures $700m facility from Citibank to rehabilitate Apapa, Tin-Can ports
- CSOs to EFCC, others: Don’t desecrate the courts while fighting corruption
- Why we’ve not paid stipends of Niger Delta ex-militants – Amnesty Office
- Eko DisCo reiterates commitment to improved service delivery
- Transcorp Hotels sells Calabar subsidiary
- FA, Premier League agree to scrap FA Cup replays