APGA factional chair granted bail after remand for s’court judgment ‘forgery’

A high court sitting in the federal capital territory (FCT) has granted bail to Edozie Njoku, a factional chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Njoku was granted bail alongside Chukwuemeka Nwoga, the party’s factional national youth leader.

Njoku and Nwoja were remanded at the Suleja correctional facility on Monday on the order of Mohammed Madugu, the presiding judge.

They were arraigned for allegedly forging a judgment of the supreme court purportedly recognising them as national chairman and national youth leader.

Njoku was granted bail on Wednesday on self-recognition, but the judge asked him to produce a surety who must be a civil servant of level 15 residing in the FCT, or a resident that has landed property with certificate of occupancy.

APGA has been plagued by internal crisis which has resulted in the party being led by factions.

In October 2021, the supreme court affirmed an appeal court judgment recognising Victor Oye as the national chairman of the party.

Following questions raised over the judgment, the supreme court had said Njoku was not a party to the judgment delivered in October 2021.

Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday after his release, Njoku described his experience in prison as “wonderful”.

While denying that he forged court documents, Njoku appealed to members of the party to work with him to win elections in 2023.

“On Monday, I was remanded in prison for two days. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I was fortunate from birth that my parents sent me to one of the best public schools in England. But from public school in England to a prison cell in Nigeria was a wonderful experience,” he said.

“I went into prison for two days for something that every single responsible man in Nigeria should have gotten up to say ‘how possible is this?’

“Some characters woke up one morning because they felt they have lost out to claim that a supreme court judgment was forged.

“The NBA, the SANs, the magistrates in Nigeria could not sit up and realise that for people to say a supreme court judgment was forged is a slap on Nigeria as a nation.

“Just because some characters feel that power is slipping off their hands they decided to ridicule the supreme court by saying that my humble self could go and forge a supreme court judgment.

“For any human being to open his mouth and say the supreme court judgment can be forged, you can tell his mindset and where he is coming from.

“A wife of a former governor in Nigeria for eight years, who got to the pinnacle of her career in the supreme court, then retired, wrote to say this is the situation, gave me a reply. That reply was served on both aspects, the police and the supreme court. Everybody was served.

“People in INEC pushed away the judgment which they can go and verify properly. They were served by the bailiff of the supreme court but they decided to say it is forgery.

“What I saw in that place (prison) I went is that Nigeria is on a time bomb and we are sitting on it. We must be very careful. We need rule of law because that is what will save our lives in this country.

“I was given bail on personal recognition and I don’t have to look for anybody to give me bail as the national chairman of the party. Every single person, including governor Charles Soludo, knows I am the national chairman of the party.

“To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Oye was never the chairman of APGA. He was never in Owerri. The convention that was held in Owerri, I emerged the national chairman. Unfortunately, I was removed in Jigawa and Jude Okeke was put in immediately by INEC.

“Oye’s tenure ended in 2019. He was never part of the Owerri convention. The supreme court has made its amendment and this is part of the executive of APGA. APGA is now ready to move forward.

“Please, I beg Victor Oye and all those people who are in his former NWC, and I seriously beg the governor of our state. You are our only governor; you must be on the side of peace. That’s what your name says.

“All those who have sympathy for APGA, please, rally around for us to do well in 2023. The setback has been so much. I have no annoyance towards anybody going to Suleja for two days. Honestly, on my honour, I learnt so much. I thank God for giving me that experience”.