APGA Crisis: Okwu petitions INEC, begins contempt proceedings against Umeh

Maxi Okwu was recognised by an Abuja High Court as the APGA national chairman.

The Maxi Okwu-led faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission not to recognise Victor Umeh as the party chairman

In a petition to the commission dated January 27, Mr. Okwu said that contempt proceedings had been instituted against Mr. Umeh and Sani Shinkafi, the party’s National Secretary, for undermining the judgment of an Abuja High Court.

He said that his attention had been drawn to a letter signed by the two ousted officers of the party to the commission titled RE: Judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/563/2013, in disobedience to court order.

Mr. Okwu, who was recognised as national chairman of the party by the court, said that the former officers had still been parading themselves as chairman and secretary respectively.

“Our attention has been drawn to a letter titled as above dated January 22 addressed to the commission, and co-signed by our erstwhile national chairman and secretary, Sani Shinkafi.

“This is quite in character since this saga began. Please, note that we have since commenced committal proceedings against them for contempt of court with the issuance of Form 48,’’ he said.

The Mr. Okwu-led faction advised the INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, not to undermine the authority of the court.

The letter said Messrs Umeh and Shinkafi seemed not to know that and application for stay of execution was not a stay of execution.

“’They also mischievously forgot that courts do not stay declaratory relief.

“In total disobedience to a valid and subsisting final judgment in which Jega and themselves were parties, the duo have been misbehaving as if the country is a jungle where everyman is on his own and only the fittest survive.

“Since judgment was delivered against them on Jan. 15 to their chagrin, they have used all sorts of unprintable words and guttersnipe language to insult the Judiciary in private and in the media,’’ it stated.

Mr. Okwu said that on January 18 in a televised show of lawlessness in Awka, the Umeh-led faction gathered at a purported APGA National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

“They also claimed to have called a national convention for February 14,” he said.

(NAN)

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