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APGA leadership tussle: I’ve accepted Supreme Court verdict – Njoku
Chief Edozie Njoku said he has resolved to abide by the Supreme Court judgment which removed him as the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Supreme Court had, on Wednesday, declared Sylvester Ezeokenwa as the national chairman of APGA, this bringing to an end the lingering leadership tussle which had rocked the party for years.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had, in his judgment, restrained Njoku from parading himself as the APGA national chairman.
Omotosho, while delivering the judgment in a suit filed by APGA and Ezeokenwa, held that there was no valid court judgment that recognised Njoku as the party’s national chairman.
He held that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) erred by recognising the Njoku-led leadership of the party.
Dissatisfied with the verdict, Njoku approached the Supreme Court to set it aside.
However, at Wednesday’s proceeding, the apex court dismissed the appeal for being frivolous and awarded N20 million for each of the three charges against him.
Reacting to the judgment at a news conference in Abuja, Njoku said that he believed in the rule of law and the verdict of the court.
“Everyone who knows me knows I believe in the rule of law and hierarchy. In any establishment, there must be a hierarchy. The hierarchy of the judiciary in Nigeria is the Supreme Court.
“We in Nigeria must learn that when the Supreme Court speaks, no matter how or what you think, you must obey it.
“We must be a country of law and order. Things cannot just be turned to suit you because you are uncomfortable. Things cannot just turn to suit Chief Edozie Njoku or Chief Henry Okechukwu or the secretary. We must follow the system,’’ he said.
Njoku said that as democrats, his removed executive members believed in the unity of Nigeria.
“We will do everything within our powers to make sure that there is peace in this country called Nigeria.
“But one thing I promise you is that you can never muffle the voice of the people. The people of Anambra State, in the next election, will speak, and it will be so resounding,’’ he said.
Njoku said that there would be anarchy in the states and the country if citizens decided to choose the judgments to obey or not to obey.
“All said and done, the Supreme Court has spoken and I truly believe in the Chief Justice of Nigeria who had made it clear in so many fora that she must bring sanity to the judiciary.
“I will not and I cannot be a clog in the hog. I cannot and I will not add to the pressure of those who are putting in relentless efforts to make sure that the judiciary can survive a very telling time,’’ he said.
Njoku commended the Supreme Court and its justices for following the right path in the journey.
He also commended the people of Anambra for keeping calm and accepting the court judgment in good faith, saying there must be an end to litigation.
“I’m happy that the Supreme Court said it is an internal democracy of the party. You can do whatever you want on the earth but you cannot change the grassroots.
“The grassroots will decide who are their leaders. And I promise you that Anambra will speak,’’ Njoku stated.
He also commended the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, even though his faction of the party had criticised, fought and taken him to court.( NAN)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared four individuals wanted over the alleged fraud perpetrated on crypto bridge exchange (CBEX), a trading platform.
The four suspects are Adefowora Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, and Seyi Oloyede.
More to follow…
The Oodua Integrity Group, a Nigerian civil society organisation, has called on Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to investigate and arrest an alleged gun runner, land grabber,popularly called then insert Lucky Blessings Abuah aka bullets of Achala Ibusa village operating in Asaba and Ibuzor, Delta State, accusing him of orchestrating criminal activities with the aid of rogue police officers.
Tosin Olaoluwa, the group’s South-South coordinator, made the appeal following intelligence gathered from concerned residents.
The suspect, identified as Achala Ibusa but popularly known as “Bullet,” is accused of running a network involving illegal arms trafficking, land grabbing, and cult-related activities.
Olaoluwa claimed Bullet operates with the protection of police officers from Rivers State, in violation of regulations prohibiting officers from working outside their command without approval.
According to the group, four AK-47 rifles were recently discovered hidden in a house in Ibuzor.
Two mobile police officers guarding the property reportedly distanced themselves from the find, raising suspicions of their involvement with Bullet, who is allegedly a leader of the Viking cult.
The Oodua Integrity Group further alleged that an assistant commissioner of police is complicit in Bullet’s activities.
The group highlighted that up to 10 mobile police officers are attached to Bullet, despite IGP Egbetokun’s recent directive to withdraw such personnel from individuals not legally entitled to their services.
“We urge the IGP to take immediate action to arrest the culprit in the interest of the general public,” Olaoluwa said, describing Bullet as a miscreant exploiting government security agents to perpetrate crimes.
In a separate incident, the group claimed that security agents from an agency in Abuja, acting on intelligence, were prevented from arresting Bullet by his police escorts.
The officers, reportedly from Rivers State, allegedly used tear gas and fired shots to obstruct the operation.
The Oodua Integrity Group warned that Bullet’s activities, including stockpiling AK-47s and other weapons in Asaba and Ibuzor, pose a significant threat to public safety.
They called for a thorough investigation into the allegations and the immediate apprehension of those involved.
The Nigeria Police Force has yet to respond to the allegations. Efforts to reach a spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
The competition and consumer protection tribunal has upheld the $220 million fine imposed on Meta Platforms Incorporated by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
In a statement on Friday by Ondaje Ijagwu, the agency’s director for corporate affairs, FCCPC said the tribunal also awarded $35,000 to the commission as the cost of investigation.
On July 19, 2024, FCCPC imposed a fine of $220 million on Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, for multiple data privacy violations.
However, Meta said it would appeal the fine.
The case stemmed from a 38-month joint investigation by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into the privacy practices and consumer data policies of WhatsApp and Meta.
Delivering judgment on Thursday in Abuja, the tribunal led by Thomas Okosun ruled that the FCCPC acted within its constitutional and statutory powers in investigating and sanctioning the companies for alleged anti-competitive and exploitative practices.
The tribunal dismissed the appeals filed by Meta and WhatsApp, which challenged the legal basis of the commission’s findings and orders.
Instead, it upheld the commission’s position on nearly all contested issues.
Gbolahan Elias (SAN) led WhatsApp and Meta’s legal teams, while Babatunde Irukera led the FCCPC’s legal team.
According to the statement, both teams had made their final arguments on behalf of their respective clients on January 28.
‘FCCPC ADHERED TO DUE PROCESS’
The tribunal, in its ruling, found that the FCCPC adhered to due process and acted within the law.
It resolved issues one to seven primarily in favour of the commission.
“The Tribunal resolved Issues 1 to 7 largely in favour of the FCCPC, dismissing the appellants’ objections to the Commission’s findings, orders, and legal competence,” the statement reads.
“One of the central issues (Issue 3), which alleged a breach of fair hearing, was decided in favour of the Commission, with the Tribunal affirming that the FCCPC fully discharged its quasi-judicial responsibilities by affording the appellants ample opportunity to respond.
“The Tribunal found no violation of constitutional due process.
“On Issue 4, which questioned the Commission’s powers in data protection and privacy, the Tribunal held that the FCCPC acted within its statutory mandate, reaffirming its authority under Section 104 of the FCCPA to regulate competition and consumer protection even in regulated industries.
“On Issue 5, which challenged the Commission’s findings regarding Meta’s privacy policies, the tribunal also resolved in the FCCPC’s favour.
“The Tribunal found no error in the Commission’s conclusions and held that the privacy policy in question did, in fact, offend Nigerian law.
“While issue 7 was largely resolved in favour of the commission, the tribunal set aside Order 7 of the commission’s final order, stating that it lacked sufficient legal basis.”
Commenting on the judgment, Tunji Bello, executive vice chairman (EVC) and chief executive officer (CEO) of the FCCPC, welcomed the ruling, describing it as a landmark judgment reinforcing the commission’s mandate to protect consumers and ensure fair market practices.
He commended the commission’s legal team for their diligence.
Bello reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to enforcing the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) in line with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.