COURT SACKS UMEH AS APGA CHAIRMAN

An Abuja Federal High Court on Wednesday sacked the National Chairman
of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, Victor Umeh, and the Secretary,
Sani Shinkafi.
The duo were sacked by Justice Abdul Kafarati, who delivered judgment
in a suit brought by a chief of the party, Chief Maxi Okwu.
Okwu had asked the court to sack Umeh and Shinkafi on the grounds that
their continued stay in office was illegal, in line with the party's
constitution.
In the suit filed on August 19, 2013, Okwu argued that Shinkafi should
vacate his office as national secretary, having been elected into
office on January 10, 2003, and re-elected for a second tenure which
expired on January 9, 2010.
Okwu maintained that Umeh and Shinkafi were not elected in accordance
with Article 18(4) of the party's constitution, which stipulated that
election into the national executive. offices shall be by secret
ballot.
Delivering judgment in the matter on Wednesday, Justice Kafarati held
that Umeh and Shinkafi's stay in office contravened Article 18(2) of
the party's constitution which provides that any official of the party
could only stay in office for a maximum of two terms of four years.
The judge held that Umeh and Shinkafi were voted into office by voice
votes rather than through a secret ballot, as stipulated by Article
18(3) of the APGA constitution, and as a result, were not validly
elected.
Justice Kafarati therefore ordered Umeh and Shinkafi to vacate their offices.
However, Umeh and Shinkafi have filed a notice to stay action the judgment.
In the notice, they prayed the court to stay the execution of the
judgment pending the hearing and determination of an appeal they filed
at the Court of Appeal.