FRESH Rift In ANPP As Chief Tells Court To Sack Onu, Ali

FRESH Rift In ANPP As Party Chief Tells Court To Sack Onu, Ali

A FRESH leadership crisis is currently brewing in the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) as its former National Vice Chairman, Mr. Asukewe Ikoawaji, is spoiling to oust the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, and National Secretary, Alhaji Lawan Shettima Ali, from office, says a news report by AkanimoReports on Wednesday.

Ikoawaji, who is also a former State Chairman of the party in Rivers, told National Mirror in Port Harcourt, that he has already dragged the party, Onu, Ali, Alhaji Ibrahim Giadom, Mr. Ali Ndume, Chief Livinus Opuakpa, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.

In Suit No. FHC/PH/95/2011, the ANPP chieftain said he is praying the court to stop Onu, Ali, and Opuakpa from parading themselves as National Chairman, National Secretary, and National Vice Chairman (South-South zone) respectively of the ANPP.

To this end, the ANPP chief has deposed to a 26-paragraph affidavit in support of his bid to oust the national officers of the party from their offices.

According to him, the purported National Convention of the party which elected them as national officers of ANPP was in breach of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended by the National Assembly.

The obviously aggrieved ANPP chief is claiming that by the Electoral Act as amended, 21 days notice ''must'' be given to INEC before a National Convention to elect national officers ''must'' be conducted, pointing out that ANPP was granted permission by INEC to hold its convention on September 17, and 18, 2010.

The plaitiff is claiming that the convention could not hold on those two days granted by INEC, adding that ANPP later held the convention without giving INEC fresh notice as required by law.

''By the guidelines of the ANPP, any aspirant to national office must have his Nomination Form duly signed by his state Chairman, the National Secretary, and the National Chairman of the party'', he deposed, pointing out that the constitution of the party and its guidelines equally require any aspirant to resign his office more than 14 days before the convention.

According to him, ''as at September 17 and 18, 2010, being the officially recognised and approved dates for the National Convention by INEC, the purported National Chairman and other purported national officers had not indicated their interest for the positions they purportedly occupy now''.

Continuing, he deposed that as at the convention of September 19 and 20, 2010, the National Chairman of the party had not duly endorsed the forms of the aspirants, adding that Onu allegedly entered the race for the number office in the party ''only two days to the convention''.

He is also claiming that before the convention which purportedly elected Onu as the national chairman of the ANPP, INEC allegedly wrote to the party claiming that it did not recognise the party's state congresses in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Katsina, Kaduna, Anambra, Plateau, and Bornu ''and yet delegates from these seven states attended and voted at the convention'', he said.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Chief Samuel Nwogu, told National Mirror that they are praying the court for an interlocutory injunction to restrain Onu, Ali, and Opuakpa, from holding themselves out and or allowing themselves to be held out as members of the ANPP and or officers of the party and or exercising the rights, powers and or functions of members and officers of the party pending the hearing and determination of this suit.

ENDS

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