Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The leadership tussle in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has taken a new dimension as its National Chairman, Mr. Victor Oye, has written the chief justice of Nigeria over alleged forgery of Supreme Court document by a factional leader of APGA, Mr. Edozie Njoku.
In the letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Federation on November 10, 2022, the party alleged that Njoku removed the name of its national chairman, Oye, as the 2nd respondent in the appeal case on the APGA leadership tussle brought before the Supreme Court by Mr. Jude Okeke.
In the letter, a copy of which was made available to THISDAY at the weekend, APGA alleged that Njoku removed Oye’s name as the 2nd respondent in the document containing the Supreme Court judgment and inserted his own name so as to lay false claim on the leadership of the party.
The party urged the chief justice to investigate the matter thoroughly and apply necessary sanctions on those responsible for the act capable of smearing the image of the country’s judiciary.
In the said judgment, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal by Jude Okeke seeking to remove Oye as the national chairman of APGA and invalidate the national convention that elected him and the current members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Oye, while addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, said that the police has investigated the complaint against Njoku and found him culpable, adding that there are plans to arraign him before the court by the police.
Oye said that the move was sequel to a petition he submitted against Njoku alleging forgery of Supreme Court document.
He said that the matter is about the court case filed by one Jude Okeke against the leadership of APGA, which was stage-managed in Jigawa but was later appealed by him and his NWC.
According to Oye the Appeal Court sitting in Kano upheld his appeal and dismissed the case brought by Jude Okeke.
He, however, said that the dissident group later took the matter to the Supreme Court where it was finally resolved in his favour and that of his NWC members.
Oye said that rather than accept the Supreme Court judgment as final, Mr. Edozie Njoku, who was never a party in the case went to alter the names of the parties in the Supreme Court judgment and inserted his name as the national chairman of APGA.
He said: “For a litigant whose name was not on the case list to write a justice of the Supreme Court, seeking amendment to the Supreme Court judgment, it is preposterous as far we are concerned and the justice replying the litigant who was not a party to the suit. Is it not preposterous? I do not even believe, and APGA did not believe that Justice Mary Peter-Odili wrote that letter. It is very doubtful and we did not believe it happened at all.
“We had to take this matter to the police on May 17, 2022, when we saw the handwriting on the wall. We wrote a petition to the Inspector General of the Police to commence an investigation on this matter. And the police went all out to conduct investigation and the result is that the police have found all the people involved culpable.
“Edozie Njoku from police investigations has 12 count charges against him. And the case is already in court in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, between the Inspector General of Police as the complainant and Njoku and Chukwuemeka Nwoga. The case is already in court what we are waiting is arraignment,” he said.
Oye said that the party is confident that very soon the personalities involved in the alleged forgery will be arraigned in court to face justice.
He said that criminal charges have already been proffered against him by the Nigerian Police Force in Charge No. CR/12/2022: Inspector General of Police vs. Mr. Edozie Njoku & Anor pending before the High Court of FCT, Abuja.
“It’s indeed worrisome that Mr. Edozie Njoku, can be so bold and audacious as to continue in his brazen forgery of sacred documents and letter-heads of Supreme Court Justices,” he said.
When asked if the persisting crisis is not going to adversely affect the party’s chances at the election, Oye said that there is no faction in APGA and that the actions of the dissident group has not in any way distracted his leadership from activities aimed at performing well in the 2023 general election.
He said that APGA currently has over 1.5 million members across the country, adding that the party is also fielding candidates for election in all the 36 states of the federation.
