Appeal Court Nullifies Victor Umeh's Sack As APGA Chairman

The Court of Appeal Enugu division, on Monday, restored Victor Umeh as the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

The court voided the judgement of the Enugu State High Court delivered by the State Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike on February 8, 2013 that sacked the entire National Working Committee of APGA on the ground that their tenure elapsed since 2010.

In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Tom Yakubu on behalf of two other justices in the appeal panel, Justices Paul Galinje (Chairman) and Modupe Kwasami, the appellate court granted all the four reliefs sought by the applicant (Umeh) and resolved all the issues set out for determination in his favour.

The court upheld the submissions of Chief Umeh’s lead counsels, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, and Patrick Ikweto, SAN that the trial court overreached itself when it ruled that the APGA National Convention of November 10, 2011 was unconstitutional contending that it was the invalidation of the convention that was the fulcrum and basis for granting the erroneous injunctions that removed the appellant from office.

In a reaction to the judgement, Maxi Okwu said he remained the authentic chairmen of the crisis-ridden party.

Okwu told journalists that there was also a valid judgement of the Court of Appeal which upheld the convention that elected him as the national chairman of the party.

Okwu emerged as the national chairman of APGA during a convention organized in Awka on April 8, 2013.