How Agbaso emerged as acting chairman of APGA
Fresh facts have now emerged over how Chief Martin Agbaso became the acting chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
Contrary to insinuations in certain quarters, Agbaso’s emergence as the new acting boss of APGA followed due process.
The Daily Times recalls that Agbaso is a foundation member and a stakeholder of the APGA. He is also the major financier of the party since inception, having played active role in the development of the party.
But the legitimacy of APGA leadership was conferred on Agbaso on May 22, 2017 when Justice A R Ozoemena of Enugu High Court granted an order of mandamus, compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inspector-General of Police to recognize Agbaso as the acting chairman of APGA.
The judge order was sequel to a motion on notice by Comrade Mike Alioke, asking the judge to grant the reliefs being sought before the court.
In the certified true copy of the court’s order which was made available to The Daily Times on Sunday, the judge further directed the IGP and the Commissioner of Police to ensure compliance of APGA’s decision over the appointment of Agbaso as the acting chairman of the party.
According to the court, the development will forestall a breakdown of law and order within the party and its faithful.
The court further prohibits INEC and its agents from recognizing or accepting any other person as the national chairman of APGA other than Martin Agbaso whose name was submitted to it by the party.
But the background to the current situation in the APGA leading to the court order to INEC and the Police started during its meeting on October 5, 2016.
During the said meeting at its National Secretariat in Abuja, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APGA took certain decisions against the leadership of the party.
The NWC of APGA indicted and suspended the Dr. Victor Ike Oye, the national chairman as well as Alhaji Abubakar Adamu, the deputy national chairman, (North) and Chief Uche Okogbuo, the national deputy chairman (South) respectively, on many grounds and instances of breaches and infractions of the party constitution.
After the indictment and the suspension of the above mentioned officials of the party, the NWC also appointed Ozo Nwabueze Okafor as the acting National Chairman of the party.
But Dr Victor Oye did not accept the NWC decisions in good faith as he was said to have continued to parade himself as the national chairman of the party.
The development led to the filing of a suit before Justice Yusuf Baba of Abuja High Court asking the court to issue an order ordering Oye to stop parading himself as the national chairman as he had been duly suspended by the NWC;
But Oye challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case, saying that the court lacked the power to entertain the suit.
In his ruling over the matter, Justice Baba held that he had the jurisdiction to hear the case and dismissed Oye’s preliminary objection.
Dissatisfied, Oye filed an appeal against the ruling at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, asking it to reverse the decision of the lower court.
While the case was pending at the Appeal Court, Ozo Nwabueze Okafor took seriously ill and died on January 8, 2017.
But before the demise of Okafor (the acting national chairman of APGA), the NWC at an emergency meeting, resolved to confirm Agbaso, as the deputy national chairman of the party.
When this decision was taken, a very powerful delegation of the NWC sent to convey the NWC decision to Agbaso could not meet him in person as he had travelled to the United States on a medical mission.
But Agbaso conveyed his acceptance of the position.
With the death of Okafor, at an emergency meeting of the NWC in Enugu, the NWC adopted Agbaso as the national chairman of the APGA.
But due to Oye’s recalcitrance , the Enugu State deputy chairman of APGA, Chief Mike Alioke approached Enugu High Court, seeking an order of mandamus on INEC and the IGP to recognize the decision of the APGA NWC that appointed Agbaso as the national chairman of APGA.
It is instructive to note that both INEC and the IGP were duly served with the court processes including the court order.
Meanwhile, Agbaso is consolidating his hold on the party, following goodwill messages from members nationwide and other stakeholders from all over the South East which is the main base of the party.
The acting chairman of APGA has also drawn up his programmes that would ensure an immediate mobilization of the party for the twin urgent tasks before it.
These include the strategies to win the governorship election in Anambra State on November 18 this year and to mobilize its members nationwide to strategize on the 2019 elections, in which it hopes to win all the key positions in the South East and South South, while making deep inroads into other parts of the federation.
