A Federal Court Territory High Court sitting in Jabi,Abuja yesterday declared Mallam Mohammed Shittu Kabiru as the interim chairman of the All Progressive Democratic Alliance and Emeka Okegwu as the Secretary of the newly-registered party.
The party had approached the court, seeking its order to stop the two interim national officers from parading themselves as such as their tenure had expired since March 16 based on their letter of appointment issued on March 14 and signed by the interim chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT),High Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
Kabiru and Okegwu were both joined by the party as defendants in the case.
Delivering judgment in the matter, the presiding judge,Justice Yusuf Halilu, stated that based on the facts before the court, it was obvious that the defendants had assumed office as interim officers of APDA before the purported appointment letter signed by High Chief Dokpesi.
According to the judge, going by Exhibits C and D before the court,the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been relating with the defendants before the March 14.
He noted that Exhibit C, which was the party’s letter of application for registration as a political party dated March 2 was signed by the interim chairman and secretary respectively, while Exhibit D, was an INEC reply to the application.
Therefore Justice Halilu,held that as a result of this,the defendants could not have been appointed by Dokpesi.
The judge held that two contradictory letters written by the party to INEC, informing it of holding its interim national working committee meeting, saying that the electoral body promptly replied this and addressed to the defendants.
He stated that going by Section 7 (1) of APDA constitution, the meeting of the interim national working committee summoned by the interim BoT chairman should not have held since the section only stated that two third members of the executive should notify the chairman to summon such meeting.
Justice Halilu declared that there was no letter of notification by two third of the executive members to the national chairman was exhibited before the court to compel Kabiru to summon the meeting.
According to him, whatever decision taken at the said meeting after the INEC’s reply to the two contradictory letters could not stand in the eye of the law.
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