Anambra polls: Nobody can stop APGA from conducting primaries — Agbaso

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA—National chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Martin Agbaso, has said nobody can stop the party from conducting primaries to elect a candidate for the November 18, 2017 governorship election in Anambra State.

Agbaso, who stated this in a statement by Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Ukaegbu, boasted that APGA was not disturbed by an order issued by Anambra State High Court sitting at Nnewi and presided over by Justice Chukwudi  Okaa, the father of Governor Willie Obiano’s Special Adviser on Pharmacy, Valentine Okaa, stressing that the Constitution and Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, favour the party to go ahead with the primaries.

He said: “APGA wishes to draw the attention of our members and the general public to the provisions of section 87 (11) of the 2010 Electoral Act, as amended, which provides that ‘nothing in this section shall empower the courts to stop the holding of primaries or general elections under this Act pending the determination of any suit’.

“APGA states that the scheduled primary and events leading to the nomination of a candidate for  the November 18 gubernatorial polls will go ahead unhindered and in accordance with the Constitution of APGA, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act both in their letters and spirit.

“The party further wishes to seize this opportunity to caution Justice Okaa to forthwith return to the part of honour as his prefix connotes by striking out or dismissing the frivolous case before him, brought by Victor Oye for being an abuse of the processes of court.

“Moreso, Justice Okaa cannot sit on appeal over the decisions of the Court of Appeal, being an inferior court and in a matter already decided by both Abuja and Enugu Divisions of the Court of Appeal as well as the Supreme Court.”

Hon. Justice Chukwudi Okaa cannot legitimize an already discredited Oye leadership as affirmed and nodded by the court of Appeal.”

He stated the National Working Committee, NWC, of APGA, will meet next week to draw up guidelines for the primaries leading to the nomination of the party’s candidate for the November 2017 gubernatorial election subject to the approval of its National Executive Committee, NEC.

Describing the court action as a desperate bid for the former national chairman of the party, Victor Oye, to distract the party in the build up to the election, APGA commended the decision of the Nigeria Police Force in withdrawing from pursuing a futile appeal against the Order of Mandamus of the Enugu High Court affirming the removal of Oye as the party’s national chairman.

Agbaso added that the withdrawal of the Police from the suit had confirmed the party’s position that the police had no business meddling in intra party affairs of a political party, having sworn to be an impartial defender of all.

 

 

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