Chief Victor Umeh, ousted National Chairman of APGA

Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia

Just as the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) appears to have got some respite over its lingering leadership crisis, the party is in for another round of crisis as a High Court in Abia State has issued an order restraining Chief Victor Umeh from parading himself as the National Chairman of the party.

The ex-parte order given on Monday by Justice U. Ononogbo of  an Igbere High Court followed a suit filed by five members of APGA challenging Umeh’s continued stay in office when his tenure had expired on December 1, 2014.

Specifically, the court order stated that the first defendant/respondent ”is hereby restrained in the interim, from parading himself as the National Chairman of the 3rd respondent political party or otherwise exercising the functions of the national chairman of APGA pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The judge also granted leave to the applicants to serve APGA, listed as the third defendant in the suit, with the writ of summons, statement of claims, witness depositions, motion and orders by substitution on the defendants.

He further ruled that the service could be served by pasting the said processes at the national headquarters of APGA at 41B Libreville Crescent, opposite Tulip Press Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 Abuja and that the order should as well be served on the National Independence Electoral Commission (INEC) at its Abuja headquarters.

The case was adjourned to December 18, 2014 for hearing of the motion on notice.

Umeh, who was recently reinstated by the Court of Appeal would now have to contend with this fresh suit concerning his tenure.

The five party members who filed the suit are Chief Lucky Erondu, Chief Godwin Ibendiogwu, Emma Onyemuru, Sunday Orji and Alwell  Okere.

Meanwhile, the crisis-torn APGA has produced two governorship candidates for Abia State in the two parallel primaries.

In one of the primary held Monday night in a hotel along Aba Road Umuahia, the former Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank, Dr. Alex Otti, emerged the winner while Chief Reagan Ufomba was proclaimed the winner of the primary held at Kolping Centre.


Source: ThisDay