APGA Crisis: Njoku Regains Freedom, Urges Soludo, INEC to Recognize Him as Party's National Chairman
The factional chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Edozie Njoku on Wednesday, November 30, regained his freedom from the Suleja correctional facility over alleged forgery of Supreme Court judgment.
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Njoku was granted bail on self-recognition by the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in the Bwari area of the Federal Capital Territory.
Also granted bail was Chukwuemeka Nwoga, Njoku's co-defendant on the matter.
Source: UGC
Speaking to journalists in Abuja shortly after his release, the party's factional chairman said he never forged Supreme Court judgment as claimed in the charges against him.
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Although describing his experience in the Suleja facility as a memorable one, Njoku stood my his innocence stating that it behoves common sense for anyone to claim that a Supreme Court judgment was forged.
He said:
"On Monday, I was remanded in prison for two days. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I was fortunate from birth that my parents sent me to one of the best public schools in England. But from public school in England to a prison cell in Nigeria was a wonderful experience.
"I went into prison for two days for something that every single responsible man in Nigeria should have gotten up to say how possible is this.
"Some characters woke up one morning because they felt they have lost out to claim that a supreme court judgement was forged."
Time to move APGA foward with leaders' support
Further noting that now is the time to shove all animosity and move the party forward, Njoku called for support from various leaders within APGA including the present governor of Anambra state, Charles Soludo.
He urged the governor and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recongnise him as the authentic national chairman of APGA.
His words:
"A wife of a former governor in Nigeria for eight years who got to the pinnacle of her career in the supreme court, retired, and wrote to say these people, this is the situation, gave me a reply.
"That reply was served on both aspect, the police and the supreme court. Everybody was served and then, a character who has gets up in court on Monday to say he is dragging the former supreme court judge to court to give a evidence, that she should be locked up?"
According to Njoku, some people within INEC pushed away the judgement.
Stating that his claims are verifiable, Njoku added that they were served by the bailiff of the Supreme Court but they decided to say it is a forgery.
He added:
"What I saw in that place I went is that Nigeria is on a time bomb and we are sitting on it. We must be very careful.
"We need rule of law because that is what we save our lives in this country. I was given bail on personal recognition and I don't have to look for anybody to give me bail as the national chairman of the party.
"Every single person including Governor Charles Soludo knows I am the national chairman of the party."
We must learn to engage
Calling for more engagement among party leaders and politicians assured that no individual will be victimised in the forthcoming election.
Njoku also refuted claims that Victor Oye is the chairman of APGA following the agreement from the party's convention which took place in Owerri, the Imo state capital city.
His words:
"Oye was never the chairman of APGA. He was never in Owerri. The convention that held in Owerri, I emerged as the as the national chairman.
"Unfortunately, I was removed in Jigawa and Jude Okeke was put in immediately by INEC. If it is nwayo here and there, we should have been there now that the supreme court has put me. That's one of the things we expect in Nigeria. I have nothing against anybody."
Court remands popular party's chairman prison over alleged forgery of Supreme Court judgment
Njoku and Chukwuemeka Nwoga were earlier been remanded in Suleja correctional facility in Niger state over the alleged falsification of a supreme court judgment.
The factional APGA chairman and his co-defendant were both remanded until the hearing on their bail application scheduled for Wednesday, November 20.
Panam Ntui, the defence lawyer, argued for their bail application, shortly after they pleaded not guilty to the 14-count charges against them but the prosecuting lawyer, Rimamsomte Ezekiel, objected to the application.
Soludo Vs Obi: New twist as statesman reveals latest about Anambra governor, LP presidential candidate
Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo's chief press secretary, Christian Aburime, dismissed an alleged rift between the governor and the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Soludo has criticised Peter Obi for his investment in Anambra state when he was the governor, adding that the investment is nothing to talk about.
The governor has been criticised for his comment but Aburime said people are only making insinuations that there is no rift between Soludo and Obi.
Source: Legit.ng
