ENUGU — The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu, yesterday, restored to office the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, who was restrained from parading himself in that capacity by an Enugu State High court on February 10.

Chief Maxi Okwu, who took oath of office with other elected officers of the party in Awka, after last weekend’s national convention held in the Anambra State capital, described the Court of Appeal ruling as ridiculous.

The three-man panel of justices, including Justice Paul Galinje (Chairman), Justices F. A. Kwasami and Tom Yakubu unanimously ruled that since the appellant (Umeh) duly appealed against the decision of the lower court presided by Justice Innocent Umezulike, Chief Judge of Enugu State, challenging his jurisdiction and accusing him of bias, the status quo ought to be maintained, pending the determination of the appeal.

Justice Galinje, who delivered the lead ruling, said the court agreed with the submissions by the applicant’s counsels, Patrick Ikweto, SAN and Chief Wale Olanipekun, SAN, that the injunction made against Chief Umeh by the lower court was capable of causing him and APGA irreparable damages if the status quo was not maintained while the matter was pending at the appeal court.

He said that the respondent, Mr. Jude Okuli, an expelled member of the party in Enugu State, did not file a counter-affidavit.

He added that when the bailiff made an attempt to serve him the applicant’s motion and other processes, he refused to accept the court processes including the application for stay of execution.  The processes were therefore dropped for him at the place he was met.
The court agreed that “an appeal per se does not operate as a stay of execution,” but the same law did not prescribe in favour of any execution during the pendency of an appeal.

“The section does not give any licence directly or indirectly for the issuance and execution of any processes which might be offensive,” he said, stressing that the group identified as stakeholders of APGA which attempted to conduct fresh convention of the party while the appeal was pending was out of place.

Speaking with newsmen after the ruling which was heralded by wild jubilation by scores of APGA chieftains and supporters that converged in the appeal court premises, Chief Umeh said that the party was happy by the ruling of the court, which he said, had restored his confidence in the judiciary.

On the next line of action of the party towards the activity of the Maxi Okwu-led interim national chairman set up by Governor Obi, Umeh maintained that Okwu who was expelled from the party alongside Chief Chekwas Okorie had never been readmitted into the party and couldn’t have a valid claim to membership of the party not to talk about being appointed or elected as interim national chairman.

Shortly after the news of the Court of Appeal ruling grating Chief Victor Umeh’s application for stay of execution, Chief Maxi Okwu, who took oath of office with other elected officers of the party in Awka, described the Court of Appeal ruling as ridiculous.

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/04/acourt-restores-umeh-as-apga-chairman/

Now that the goal post have been shifted, what's next?

This is APGA dieing slowly but steadily. Rochas has jumped ship, Obi has created a new faction and now Umeh has being restored. This was how PDP were battling themselves and APGA took the governorship from them. Now PDP is serious uniting itself in Anambra and bet me if PDP unites itself behind one candidate in Anambra they will win this governorship election clean sweep. They have the money to through about and grass root support. Take the case of 2010 election if the votes of IKUKUOMA, UBA and SOLUDO were put together for one of them PDP would have one.

Hmm. APGA better get their acts together. It seems that the new 'chairman' has to step down, or appeal to the Supreme Court.
Anyway, I'll be following the drama.

How long is Umeh going to be chairman? Everyone in office in this country can't let go of it.

Why is it always so difficult for APGA chairmen to leave office? I know that Nigerian politicians love to sit tight, but APGA chairmen seems to raise this sit tight syndrome to a new level.

Chekwas Okorie was there; he rubbed superglue on his .a.ss and sat down; defeated every move to remove him, until the party was almost destroyed. Victor Umeh came on board and has practically wrecked that party by glueing himself to the chairman seat with some substance stronger than superglue!

That party is almost dead now, because honestly I can't see any sensible person that would stick to such party.
Too much selfishness and greed has killed the party.
Tufiakwa.

Onlytruth: Why is it always so difficult for APGA chairmen to leave office? I know that Nigerian politicians love to sit tight, but APGA chairmen seems to raise this sit tight syndrome to a new level.

Chekwas Okorie was there; he rubbed superglue on his .a.ss and sat down; defeated every move to remove him, until the party was almost destroyed. Victor Umeh came on board and has practically wrecked that party by glueing himself to the chairman seat with some substance stronger than superglue!

That party is almost dead now, because honestly I can't see any sensible person that would stick to such party.
Too much selfishness and greed has killed the party.
Tufiakwa.

This is the sophistication of igbo people! Putting greed ahead of everything.

ACN is controlling 6 states without single internal crisis.

@*556# so the internal crises in PDP southwest is also caused by IGBO abi.

Maxi Okwu vs Victor Umeh ; I will be watching to see the final outcome of this saga!

Maxi Okwu's position is illegal.he shd respect the law and bow out

.

Little wonder why the party hasn't been able to grow pass its region of origin.

Power Mongers..... It is a major blow to the APC merger.

Yeppi

I dey laff...I can't wait for pdp to take over the mantle of leadership from APGA

Jeg should be in London on Wednesday clueless man

unending power tussle... we awaits another litigations from the the losers.

Apga is back to square 1

A bunch of thieves claiming to be politicians and statesmen...the party will die after 2015! APGA my foot!

Tolexander: Little wonder why the party hasn't been able to grow pass its region of origin.

You over estimate them.

How many of the states in the region does APGA even control

Who takes APGA serious anyway. The Party was dead on Arrival

dayokanu:

You over estimate them.

How many of the states in the region does APGA even control

Who takes APGA serious anyway. The Party was dead on Arrival

[size=20pt] ABIKU?[/size]

^^ Exactly OGBANJE party the party died

dayokanu: ^^ Exactly OGBANJE party the party died

. APGA is a memorial party, since gov peter obi said ojukwu remain there party leader.

i hope all those people that have insulted Umeh can still have D face 2 ask 4 4giveness? Abeg is BIAFRA all the way. All these igbo politicians have all short changed us and they must pay

Peter Obi has made it public he would be retiring from active politics after his tenure as Gov, i guess he won't be seeing much of Umeh around, Coupled with Ojukwu of Blessed memory gone, Gov Rochas porting to APC, APGA maybe as good as history