INEC Okays Umeh As APGA Chairman

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has affirmed that Chief Victor Umeh and Alhaji Sani Shinkafi remain National Chairman and National Secretary respectively of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) even as the embattled Chairman loses bid to vacate order restraining him from convening executive meeting of the party.

The INEC also dismissed the activities of Alhaji Sadeeq Masalla faction that suspended Umeh and Shinkafi from the party recently.

The Commission in a letter addressed to Umeh dated July 26th with reference Number INEC/LEG/APGA/222/11/313 also said the purported National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held by Masalla group in Abuja a forthnight ago and all decisions taken there are illegal having been taken in contravention of the APGA and as such have no binding force.

The letter which was signed by the Secretary of the Commission, Abdulahi Kaugamar said INEC cannot investigate the allegations of forgery of the signatures of eleven members of the National Working Committee (NWC) by the Masalla led group and advised that the matter be reported to the Police.

However, the embattled Chairman on Tuesday lost his bid to have an Enugu High Court vacate the order restraining him from convening a national executive meeting of the Party.

The Judge, Justice Innocent Umezuluike said it was impossible for his court to make a magisterial pronouncement on the case.

The judge was of the view that the issues that were raised including the preliminary objection locus standi, domestic political question, abuse of court process and jurisdiction, were not issues that can be ruled in a jiffy.

In his verdict, Justice Umezuluike said, “the Interim order shall endure until this court’s ruling in the defendant’s application fixed for 17 September, 2012.

While reacting to the ruling, Umeh expresses surprise by the ruling even without any request from any of the parties in the suit for the court to do so.

He said they shall remain calm and study the order.

According to him, “our counsel has prepared a notice of appeal and due grounds of appeal against the order, including an application for a stay of execution of the order which will be filed today.

“I call on all members of APGA to remain calm as the situation is temporal”, he said.

The National Executive Committee meeting called  Wednesday was suspended due to the order.