Politics

For parading himself as AA national chairman, Court fines Kenneth Udeze N1 million

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2023

Kenneth Udeze

A Federal High Court, FHC, Abuja, on Tuesday, awarded a N1 million fine against Kenneth Udeze for parading himself as national chairman of the Action Alliance, AA.

Justice Binta Nyako, in a ruling, ordered that Udeze and his lawyer, S.C. Uchendu, should jointly pay the fine for abuse of the court process.

Mr Udeze and Vernimbe James had, in a motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/1871/2022, had prayed to be joined in a suit filed by AA against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

In the motion dated and filed on Nov. 28, 2022, the duo, through their lawyer, sought an order joining them as co-respondents in the suit

While Mr Udeze claimed to be the party’s national chairman, James said he was the national secretary.

The prayed to the court for an order directing the applicant, AA, to serve on them all the processes in the suit.

They argued that they were necessary and interested parties to the matter.

According to them, these parties seeking to be joined are the subsisting and court-affirmed national chairman and national secretary of Action Alliance respectively.

READ ALSO:

In a 12-ground of argument given, they argued that the suit cannot be completely and effectively determined without joining them, among others.

But counsel to the AA, Oba Maduabuchi, SAN, opposed the application for joinder.

He said the only reason a party could be joined in a matter was when the decision of the court would affect the such party.

“But where a matter will not affect him, it is not necessary.

“In this case, the applicant (Udeze) is claiming that he is a national chairman but three different courts have told them that he is not a chairman.

“Exhibit A is a judgment of the Court of Appeal which was decided on Jan. 7, 2022,” he said.

Citing the judgment, he said the court held that it remained “incontrovertible that the suspension of Udeze and his expulsion from membership of AA has not been lifted by appropriate authority or any order of the court.”

He stressed that his suspension and expulsion are extant.

Maduabuchi said Udeze’s expulsion was also confirmed by a FHC judgment in Exhibit B.

Referring to paragraphs 15 and 16 of the exhibit, he said the lower court relied on EXhibit A in its decision.

He said the judge said, “by virtue of stare decisis, I found that this application is time wasting and vexatious.”

The senior lawyer said when the judgement was also appealed, the Court of Appeal held that the case was already spent, having failed to controvert his suspension and subsequent expulsion.

Besides, he said Justice Zainab Abubakar of a FHC, Abuja also gave a judgment, in a similar suit, that Udeze lacked a locus standi to file such application, describing him as a meddlesome interloper.

“My lord, the Court of Appeal in another decision in Ibadan on Nov. 11 said that Udeze is not a national chairman,” he said.

READ ALSO:

Maduabuchi urged the court to dismiss Udeze’s request for joinder.

In her ruling, Justice Nyako held that an Appeal Court and three other judges had said that Udeze was not a member of AA, having been suspended and eventually dismissed from the party.

The judge, who held that Udeze now engaged in forum shopping, described the act as “an abuse of court process.”

She, consequently, ordered Udeze and his lawyer, Uchendu, to pay the fine of N1 million naira and adjourned the matter until Jan. 16 for hearing.

NAN reports that AA had sued INEC as sole respondent in the suit.

The party is praying the court to compel the electoral umpire to upload all the names of the governorship and state assembly candidates sent to it by the leadership of Dr Adekunle Omo-Aje.

The party had also sued INEC in a similar suit before Justice Zainab Abubakar where the court ordered the electoral umpire to accept and publish the names of the presidential and national assembly candidates sent to it by the Omo-Aje-led leadership of the party.

NAN reports that at a national congress held by AA in Abuja, Mr Solomon-David Okanigbuan emerged the party’s presidential candidate, among others.

But retired Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former aide to late Gen. Sani Abacha, also won the presidential primary election conducted by the Udeze-led faction on June 9 in Abuja.

The electoral umpire had recognised all the candidates presented to it by the Udeze-led faction.

NAN

Related Topics:AA court Kenneth Udeze National Chairman

Up Next

Labour Party Lagos chairman Kayode Salako resigns

Don't Miss

Appeal Court President warns election tribunal officials against compromise

Politics

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Peter Obi and Omoyele Sowore

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently shared his reasons for not forming a coalition with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the same election.

In his appearance on the Honest Bunch podcast, Sowore asserted that, in his view, Obi is similar to other Nigerian politicians, describing him as “better at packaging.”

Sowore explained that his own journey in politics began long before Obi gained national recognition, emphasizing his dedication to advocating for systemic change in Nigeria.

During the podcast, co-hosted by Nedu, Husband Material, Deity Cole, and Ezinne, Sowore highlighted his belief in challenging the status quo, which he feels differs significantly from Obi’s approach.

Sowore said, “Before you discovered Peter Obi, I was already running for president. All these shouts about Peter Obi… He just knows how to package. Anyone can do it.

“If I form a coalition with Peter Obi, I will be going against what I have always stood for, which is that I will never support a Nigerian leader who has held any political office — whether at the federal, state, or local level — if I consider them non-performing.

“It’s the same reason I would never have joined hands with Atiku. And the Peter Obi you’re talking about was a vice-presidential candidate to Atiku when I was a presidential candidate in 2019.

READ ALSO:

“So, what are we talking about? There is no lesser evil in my book. If you are evil, you are evil. If you are good, you are good. I have a general disdain for non-performance.”

He added that there is no such thing as “emotional attachment” in his dictionary.

“There was a friend of mine who kept saying, he doesn’t care if Peter Obi is Igbo, but that it is the turn of the Igbos. But it is beyond that; I have a natural disdain for poor performance,” he explained.

Sowore insisted that while many may not know it, he knew Obi before and during his time as governor, and he backed him.

“I had always known and supported him and stood against his removal when (Olusegun) Obasanjo wanted to use Andy Ubah to replace him—the twists and turns then.

“However, when Peter Obi finished his term in Anambra, the question I asked him was whether he could send his child to any university he had built in Anambra—he was mute and could not respond.

“I also asked him if he could enter any hospital he built in Anambra, which he governed for eight years, even if it was for the slightest headache—there was also no response.”

Sowore went on to challenge the four anchors or any other Nigerians, saying, “If they can pack their bags and head to Anambra for a vacation.”

PUNCH Online reports that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress recorded 8,794,726 votes in the 2023 presidential election, followed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who secured 6,984,520 votes.

In third place, Labour Party’s Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party secured 1,496,687 votes.

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Politics

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2024

Trends Admin

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

The Arewa Consensus for Jonathan, a political group in the North, has urged former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to enter the 2027 presidential race.

Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, is widely regarded for his role in fostering democratic growth and his relatively peaceful exit from power after losing the 2015 election.
Despite his exit from politics, his name has remained a focal point in discussions about Nigeria’s future leadership.

The group’s leader, Munir Musa, who made the appeal during a press conference in Bauchi over the weekend, emphasised that Jonathan’s return to office was crucial to addressing Nigeria’s pressing economic and security challenges.

READ ALSO:

He argued that Nigeria, grappling with severe economic downturns and rising security threats, needs a leader with Jonathan’s experience and competence to restore stability.

“The nation is at a crossroads, and we believe that Goodluck Jonathan is the right man to steer us out of the current malaise,” Musa told reporters.

He expressed confidence that Jonathan’s leadership could heal the country’s deepening wounds and usher in a new era of progress.

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

Politics

Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2024

Trends Admin

Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa

Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov

Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political and cultural organization, has endorsed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.

Sehinde Arogbofa, a prominent Afenifere leader, announced the support at the Olubaka of Oka land palace, Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye.

Arogbofa expressed confidence in Aiyedatiwa’s leadership and encouraged him to follow the values and legacy of Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Ondo State’s first governor. “Afenifere stands firmly behind your mandate… Strive to make Ondo State great again,” Arogbofa said.

READ ALSO:

Oba Adeleye, speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in Akoko South West Local Government Area, also endorsed Aiyedatiwa, citing his masses-focused policies and the governor’s initiative to allocate five percent of local government funds to traditional institutions as a demonstration of his commitment to their welfare.