By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

Chief Edozie Njoku, the factional Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to obey court orders by recognising him as the party’s national chairman.

Njoku said this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.

He said that INEC under the leadership of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had obeyed different court orders including recent judgments involving the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa, Chief Timipre Slyva.

“We have seen series of court orders which INEC has obeyed, but the question now is why has INEC refuse to obey the one recognising me APGA national chairman.

“On Nov. 9, 2023 the FCT High Court 40 on Nov. 9, 2023 in Suit No: FCT/HC/CV/4068/2023 gave Yakubu 14 days ultimatum to recognize me as national chairman of APGA or risk jail.

“Today is Nov. 24, that is, five days away from Nov. 29, the adjourned date.

“By its judgment, the Court found Yakubu and Oye culpable, but out of leniency gave them a 14days window to purge themselves or prepare for jail,” Njoku said.

He said that rather than recognising him, INEC headed to the Appeal Court, saying that the effort would end in futility.

He called on Nigerians to prevail on INEC to do the needful by obeying the court order by recognising him as the authentic national chairman of the party.

“Country men and women, this is the right way to go. We must stop men and women who feel that they have power to select which court orders to obey and which not to obey.

“Nigeria is for us all and we cannot aide the destruction of the pillars that hold on to that country for us and one of the major pillars are court orders,” Njoku said.

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the matter was still in court.

“Is it the Court speaking or the litigant? The case is coming up in four days but he has already pronounced on behalf of the Court that the INEC Chairman would be jailed. He should be ignored.

“The litigant is well known for his sensational antic. Responsible citizens don’t comment on matters that are subjudice and even worse in a pre-emptive manner,” he said. (NAN)

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