The embattled former National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Ikechukwu Oye, reportedly got jittery in court on Wednesday, May 17, and denied holding National Working Committee (NWC) or National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings or congresses to avoid jail term over contempt of court.
Recall that News Band reported on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, that the Federal Capital Territory High Court 40 sitting in Bwari, Abuja, ordered Chief Oye to stop parading himself as the National Chairman of the party.
The court also restrained him from holding any gatherings, meetings, Congresses or Convention in the name of APGA NEC or NWC, declaring such congress and convention as null and void.
This medium, however, reported on May 13 that Chief Oye held a NEC meeting in Awka, the Anambra State capital, in clear defiance of the Federal High Court order that barred him from doing so.
During the resumed hearing of the matter on May 17, the purported congresses held by Chief Oye had hit the wall as his lawyer, Ifeanyi Mbaeri, Esq, while defending him from contempt of court before Justice M.A Madugu of the FCT Court in suit number FCT/HC/CV/4068/2023, denied the NWC, NEC Meeting or Congresses.
Instantly, Justice M. A. Madugu, the presiding Judge quickly asked Mbaeri to file an affidavit stating exactly what he said while addressing the Court.
The Court had further ordered that Oye, his assigns or privies should not hold meetings, gatherings or conduct any activities in the name of the Party and ordered a return to Status Quo Ante Bellum which was hinged on the Supreme Court Judgment of March 24, 2023.
Contrary to the order of the Court Oye damned the consequences and proceeded to hold NWC, NEC Meetings and Congresses.
There are plethora of newspaper reportage backed with pictorial evidences which showed Chief Victor Oye and Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State presiding over the NWC and NEC meetings at Awka, where they ratified the ongoing Congresses and Convention, in the name of APGA.
Prior to the Court Order, Oye had made a publication in Page 20 of ThisDay Newspaper of April 21, 2023.
The said advertorial confirmed public suspicion that Oye may have the full backing of Governor Soludo and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to political pundits, besides the grave danger associated with flouting Court Order, the act could pollute public perception about the Judiciary and could drain the peoples’ confidence in the legal system and potentially trigger resort to self-help.
Rattled by Oye’s brazenness and audacity to commit impunity, various newspapers captures it thus;
(a) Victor Oye dares court, ignores order, convenes APGA NEC meeting in Awka – News Band
(b) Victor Oye Ignores Court Order, Convenes APGA NEC Meeting in Awka – Daily Independent Newspaper – May 14, 2023
(c) APGA: Oye Convenes NEC Meeting Despite Court Order – The Nation – May 15, 2023
(d) Oye Defiles Court Order Convenes APGA NEC Meeting – ThisDay – May 15, 2023
(e) Oye’s APGA Dismisses Njoku Approves Convention – New Telegraph – May 14, 2023.
(f) Oye Ignores Court Order, Convenes APGA NEC Meeting in Awka – May 15, 2023
(g) Oye dares Court, Convenes APGA NEC Meeting – Sun Newspaper May 15, 2023
To crown it all, on May 14, 2023 Mr. Tex Okechukwu, Esq, one of Oye’s protégés published an advertorial in Page 16 of Sun Newspaper with the caption “Public Notice: Guidelines and Schedule of Activities for Elective Congresses/National Convention 2023″.
Furthermore, on May 16, 2023 Dr. Alex Obiogbolu (SA to the Governor of Anambra State on Political matters) signed off a press release with the caption “Public Service Annoucement – Complaints Of Micro Zoning In Central” as the Chairman Anambra State APGA Congress Committee.
The implication of this, it was observed, is that Victor Oye, Tex Okechukwu and Alex Obiogbolu have walked into the trap of the Court by their deliberate disobedience to a subsisting Court Order.
Going by what transpired in the court at the last sitting, the entire Congresses being conducted by Oye and his group are clearly an exercise in futility as it has been outrightly denied by Oye’s lawyer, since admitting such before the trial Judge has dire consequences.
The question before observers presently is:
- Why has INEC allowed itself to be used to the extent of standing against a subsisting Court Order?
- How will the Commission account for the tax payers money which it used to monitor the NWC, NEC meetings and congresses which it knew was against an order of Court?”
Given the fusillade and throng of evidences which the Mr. Mike Ajara. Esq (the plaintiffs’ lawyer) have filed in his further affidavit before Justice Madugu’s Court which confirms that Oye and his stooges may have walked into a very deadly and consuming trap, Mr. Mbaeri may be putting his wig in ring if he dares file any Counter affidavit contrary that what he told the Court on May 17, 2023.
Speaking to News Band over the development, an APGA stalwart, who spoke on condition of anonymity, observed:
“Anyone that has followed the APGA leadership crises since May 31, 2019 would agree that Oye and his sponsors have a track record of being rude and daring towards Court Orders and Judgments.
“On April 6, 2022, the Justice A. R Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in the issue of legitimate representation for APGA, gave a Judgment declaring that Chief Edozie Njoku’s Legal Adviser, Barr. Hamman Buba Ghide, as the authentic Legal Adviser of the Party, having emerged from the Owerri Convention; and not Barr. Sylvester Ezeokeknwa.
“On April 11, 2022, the above Court Judgment was served on INEC requesting them to recognize Chief Edozie Njoku as the authentic National Chairman of APGA. The Commission refused, thereby proving Oye with the opportunity to continue with festering his iniquity.
“On May 9, 2022, Hon. Justice Ukaego Mary Peter Odili (JSC) corrected the error in Page 13 of her Lead Judgment of October 14, 2021. The Supreme Court amended Judgment was served on INEC requesting them to recognize Chief Edozie Njoku as the authentic National Chairman of APGA. The Commission remained adamant, thereby tacitly and stealthily ignoring the Supreme Court Judgment.
“On March 24, 2023, the Supreme Court finally corrected its Judgment of October 14, 2021; it deleted Oye’s and replaced it with that of Chief Edozie Njoku.
“The Enrolled Order of the Court was served on INEC on April 5, 2023. Yet, INEC is recalcitrant in honoring the March 31, 2023 letter to the Chairman of INEC requesting for Chief Edozie Njoku to be recognized as ordered by the Supreme Court.
“The question is, on what grounds is Oye’s name being retained on INEC’s website?
“Although, there are reports that INEC monitored Oye’s illegal Congresses, especially in the Southeast. This manner of abuse of office and flagrant disregard by INEC unravels the caliber of man at its helms, especially Mr. Aminu Idris, the Director of Election and Party Monitoring of INEC, Abuja.
“It is truly worrisome that Mr. Idris would mandate the Head of Departments of INEC in all the States of the Federation to ignore the Supreme Court Judgment of March 24, 2023 and also disobey May 10, 2023 Court Order of the FCT High Court. Again, the question is, who is Aminu Idris working for?”
Our reporters reached out to people in the field about the ongoing illegal APGA Congresses and they have this to say;
- Micheal Egbonwachi, an APGA stalwart at Amechi Idodo/Oruku Ward in Nkanu East LGA of Enugu State laments that the Congress is a ruse. He berated Gov. Soludo for working through Oye to install another illegitimate executive. When contacted for comments, Mrs Ginika Uche Nwankwo, the Head of Department of Election and Party Monitoring of INEC at Enugu State refused to provide more details about the role the Commission at Enugu is playing in the illegal congress, except stating, on phone, that INEC is monitoring the Congress.
- Nkoli Emenike of the Awkuzu Ward I Amakpu Square in Oyi LGA of Anambra State, an APGA member said she distanced herself from the plot to disobey Court Order. According to her, ‘it is unheard of that a sitting Governor will be encouraging impunity against the Court.’
Attempts to reach Mr. Emmanuel Isong, the Head of Department of Election and Party Monitoring of INEC in Anambra State proved abortive as his lines remained unreachable. However, other members of staff that we spoke to on condition of anonymity said the Commission is monitoring the Congress.
John Nkaranegwu from Obiakpu Ward in Ohaji Egbema LGA of Imo State said that they have waited for the Congress to commence to no avail. He said, ‘there are no traces of Oye and his men here,.’ adding, ‘I heard they have written a list as usual and submitted to Abuja. This is why the Party isn’t getting any better.’
A call to the phone of Sir. Victor Nwokeabia, the Head of Department of Election and Party Monitoring of INEC in Imo State wasn’t reachable as at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, Mbaeri, Counsel to Oye is contending the jurisdiction of the Court to entertain the matter which he filed in his Preliminary Objection.
The Court adjourned till May 25, 2023, as the Court Order persists. Read more.