A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court presided over by Justice Yusuf Halilu has dismissed the suit instituted by Chief Raymond Dokpesi against the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA) for lack of merit and forgery of a purported appointment letter.
Dokpesi had approach the court with claims that he was the one that appointed the party’s National Chairman, Mallam Mohammed Shittu, and Dr Emeka Okengwu during the formation of the party.
He requested the court to affirm him as Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman and also dissolve the Shittu-led National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
Dokpesi equally prayed for all property and correspondences to be submitted to him.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Halilu averted that the defendant was elected in January with a resolution submitted to the Independent National Executive Committee (INEC) and the commission has recognised him (Shittu) as such and several correspondences were made with him.
The judge affirmed that INEC equally cautioned Dokpesi in a letter addressed to him that the party can not have a BoT until after five years as stipulated by APDA constitution.
Based on the above facts submitted by the defendants (Mallam Mohammed Shittu and Emeka Okengwu) National Chairman and Secretary respectively remain the authentic and recognised leadership of APDA.
He added that Dokpesi’s action lacks integrity and has no locus standi to approach the court in the first instance because the party never had BoT.
The judge described the purported letter claimed by Dokpesi to have issued to Shitu as an after thought, adding that it lacks credibility.
Reacting, Shittu described it as landmark judgment that would strengthen the party and allow it focus on providing a viable opposition and alternative party that Nigerians are yearning for.
“This a confirmation of what APDA stand for that we are party of integrity that can not be hijacked by God fathers,†Shittu said
