APGA Crisis: Umeh Petitions Jega, Mukhtar

Victor Umeh

• Accuses Obi of causing factions within party
Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The ousted National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has petitioned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega,  and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alooma Mukhtar,  over what he described as  the unlawful dissident activities and factionalisation of the party by the  Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, and his cohorts.

Umeh, in the letter,  alleged  that the Anambra State governor,   in his desperate bid to over-reach his appeal challenging the decision of the Enugu State High Court which removed him as the National Chairman of APGA and in flagrant breach of the party’s constitution and Section 85 of the Electoral Act,  elected national leaders for the party with Maxi Okwu, the National Chairman of Citizens Popular Party (CPP) as acting National Chairman and Alhaji Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi as acting National Secretary.

“The appointment of Barrister Maxi Okwu as the acting National Chairman of APGA is the biggest scandal of party politics in Nigeria today! By the time the announcement was made, he was the National Chairman of CPP. Barrister Okwu along with Chief Chekwas Okoie and Hassan Bello were expelled from APGA in 2005. They challenged their expulsions in court and the FCT High Court affirmed their expulsions on April 16, 2008, they pursued an appeal up to the Supreme Court and lost on the 25th of March 2011,” Umeh  said in his letter.

Shinkafi has however denounced his appointment as the factional National Secretary of APGA.
Umeh also petitioned CJN Aloma Mukhtar over the judgment delivered on February 8 delivered by the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike, and his blatant refusal to hear his motion staying the said judgment.

In the letter  he jointly signed with the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi, dated February 21 and addressed to Jega,copy of which was made available to newsmen at the weekend in Abuja, Umeh accused Governor Obi of leading the assault to destabilise the leadership of the party and hijack the machinery of APGA.

The letter read: “We write this letter to the Hon. Chairman pursuant to the powers conferred on the Independent National Electoral Commission by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act both as amended in 2010, to register and monitor the activities of political parties in Nigeria.

“It is with sadness that we once more bring to your attention the desperate use   of money and corruption to remove the lawful national leadership of our party. Leading this assault is the Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi , elected on our platform. In our bid to resist his attempt to hijack the machinery of our party he has resorted to various acts of destabilisation of the party.”

The letter further stated: “You will recall that he sponsored Alhaji Sadeeq Masalla to stage a coup against us, the National Chairman and National Secretary of our party.