Ogona Anita
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has set aside the June 28, 2024, decision of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed contempt proceedings instituted by the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Bwari, against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. This decision reinforces the supremacy of the law and definitively resolves the contentious leadership dispute within the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The apex court ruled that the appeal filed by APGA and its National Chairman, Barrister Sylvester Ezeokenwa, was meritorious. It unequivocally held that its earlier judgment on the matter did not, in any manner, recognize or declare Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA.
In a strongly worded rebuke, the Supreme Court censured Njoku and his collaborators for willfully misrepresenting its corrected judgment to the lower courts. The court characterized their actions as reckless, deceitful, and detrimental to the integrity of judicial processes.
Further, the court condemned the abuse of judicial procedures orchestrated by Njoku and his associates, which culminated in a purported order issued by Hon. Justice Mohammed Madugu of the FCT High Court, Bwari. This controversial order, subsequently relied upon by INEC in July 2024 to justify the recognition of Njoku as APGA’s National Chairman, was exposed by the apex court as part of an elaborate scheme designed to distort the true interpretation of its judgment.
As a consequence of this misconduct, the Supreme Court imposed a punitive cost of ₦20 million against Njoku, denouncing his frivolous suit at the FCT High Court as a deliberate attempt to manipulate the judicial process for personal aggrandizement.
The judgment also condemned the flawed legal basis previously cited by INEC to validate Njoku’s purported leadership. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had invoked the FCT High Court order as enforcement of the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling. However, the apex court, in its latest judgment, has exposed this reliance as a product of deliberate misrepresentation, reaffirming that its original decision did not confer any leadership authority on Njoku.
The Supreme Court’s ruling not only affirms the rightful leadership of Barrister Sylvester Ezeokenwa over APGA but also serves as a stern deterrent against the reckless abuse of judicial processes. It underscores the judiciary’s resolute commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting the sanctity of its pronouncements.
By Dr. Tony Olisa Mbeki Ogbonna
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