APGA: Court dismisses Victor Umeh’s application

A Nigerian Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday dismissed the stay of execution application brought by Chief Victor Umeh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The court had on 15 January sacked Umeh and dissolved the party’s faction led by him .

Consequently Umeh, APGA National Chairman, appealed against the decision and urged the court to stay the execution of the judgment pending his appeal.

Ruling in the application, Justice Abdul Kafarati, dismissed the application.

Kafarati had in the judgment declared Mr Maxi Okwu, Chairman of a rival faction of the party elected on April 8, 2013 as the authentic chairman of the party.

The judge had also noted that Umeh and his faction were voted into office by voice votes instead of secret ballot as stipulated by APGA’s constitution.

This, he said, had invalidated their emergence as valid national officers of the party.

The Court of Appeal has fixed April 29 for hearing in the appeal challenging the lower court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suit.