Abia State High Court sitting in Umunneochi Local Government Area,has affirmed the membership of High Chief Ikechi Emenike contrary to rumours making the rounds in the circle of the aggrieved members of the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The court affirmed that the membership and loyalty of the 2023 Governorship candidate of the party, Chief Ikechi Emenike has never been in doubt.
In a Press Release signed by the chairman of Abia APC,Dr Kingsley Ononogbu, said the Abia State High Court sitting in Umunneochi had last year ruled in the favour of Chief Emenike, in a suit he and two other claimants filed challenging a purported suspension by desperate party members, during the leadership crisis said to have been instigated by former state chairman of the party, Donatus Nwankpa.
The Release said that following what was nothing but a mischievous suspension announced at a kangaroo meeting of the aggrieved held at Ikwuano in August 2021, the trio of Chief Emenike, Mr. Ejike Olekanma and Ikenna Emmanuel Anyalewechi,had gone to court asking for the nullifcation of the said “suspension”.
“Joined as defendants in the suit were the then APC Catetaker Chairman, Mai Mala Buni (for himself and member of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee), and Wilson Chimelulam Utaegbulam.
“In its judgment delivered on November 4, 2021 in the Suit No: HUM/41/2021, the Court presided over by Justice Benson Anya held that Chief Emenike, who then was the Secretary of APC Contact and Strategy Committee, is an authentic and bona-fide member of APC”.
According to the Release, the Court held that the defendants had admitted that the claimants are authentic members of APC having failed to file a counter affidavit to challenge the deposition contained in the 22 paragraph affidavit and four exhibits filed by the claimants.
“This is because facts admitted need no further proof,” Justice Anya said, adding that he was “convinced that the defendants were duly served the originating summons” filed on October 20, 2021, yet they could not counter the claimants’ depositions “but rather filed a written address in response to the originating summons”.
“In the light of the foregoing, the claimants reliefs are granted as prayed and judgment is entered in favour of the claimants,” the Court said.
However, no order was made as to cost against the defendants.
Among the reliefs sought by Chief Emenike and the other claimants, were that the Court should declare that the said letter dated August 24, 2021, purporting to suspend Chief Emenike “is ineffective, abusive and ultra vires” of the powers of those purported to have written the said letter.
That Chief Emenike “is and remains an authentic/bona fide member and leader of the first defendant(APC) in Nkwoegwu Ward, Umuahia North Local Government and Abia State with full rights and benefits”.
The claimants also urged the Court to declare that Emenike’s membership of APC was never in question since he was duly registered and his name is in the party’s membership register in his Nkwoegwu ward hence, it is only the ward members in relevant ward congress/Executive that determine a member’s status following due process.
The Court was further asked to make a declaration that the purported letter of suspension was a breach of Chief Emenike’s rights as enshrined in the APC Constitution and the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria(As Amended).
The Release further stated that Emenike, who in 2014/2015, was the director of operations in the campaign organisation of President Muhammadu Buhari, has been at loggerheads with some undemocratic and pseudo progressives in the ranks of Abia APC.
Recall that upon Chief Emenike’s declaration as the winner of the Abia APC gubernatorial primaries,a court suit was publicized, challenging his membership of the party and restricting him from parading himself as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Abia.
