By John Asiegbu
In a bid to ensure participation in the forthcoming council polls in Imo State, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) has notified the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, (ISIEC) that the Court of Appeal Judgment which restored Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA and subsequent recognition by INEC on July 9, 2024 has substantial effect on the leadership of the party at the State level.
In the letter addressed to the ISIEC Chairman, Chief Charles Ejiogu, dated July 29, 2024 and signed by Alhaji Muhyideen Imam, National Secretary of APGA, Mr. Imam attached the two Court of Appeal Judgments and a counter affidavit from INEC declaring unequivocally that Chief Edozie Njoku is authentic and rightful National Chairman of APGA, and stated clearly that they should only deal with the State Executives that are under the fold of Chief Edozie Njoku.
APGA also served same notice to the Army, the Police, the Department of State Security Service (DSS), and the Imo State Inter Party Advisory Council ( IPAC) to recognize only Chief Edozie Njoku’s approved state executive committee of the party.
The party made this known at a news briefing held by its National Working Committee (NWC) led by the National Secretary, Muhyideen Imam, in Owerri on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
According to Muhyideen Imam, the essence of the briefing was to inform relevant agencies and the public that the Independent National Electoral Commission has recognized Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA as his name is currently on the Commission’s official website.
He pointed out that as a result of the change in the party’s national leadership, the state leadership of the party had also been changed, saying that a 10-man caretaker committee led by Mr. Emeka Ozuomba, (Ag. State Chairman) and Chief Vincent Amadi (Ag. State Secretary) are the executive committee of the party in Imo State
He therefore, advised Imolites, particularly those aspiring to contest the September, 21, LG election on the platform of APGA to shun Mr. John Iwuala’s led state executive and embrace the right leadership of the party to avoid being defrauded.
He further enjoined aspirants who had obtained the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms from the outgone executive of Iwuala to rush to the party’s new state secretariat at No. 7/9 Wetheral Road, Owerri for regularization and revalidation of their forms to prevent any form of nullification or disqualification.
In his remarks, the party’s National Vice Chairman (South East), Hon Tony Uchechukwudi Ezekwelu, stated that the party would accommodate all members in order to cruise to victory in the LG election and other elections across the nation.
Recall that the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgement, declared Chief Edozie Njoku the authentic national chairman of APGA, after over six years of legal battle.
